Alignment is somewhat similar to Adaptation, and yet it does not require change as much as a changed view on reality. We should be aware that each new technology brings possibilities not yet considered commonplace by most humans. Sure, we see a lot of improvements, but most people are overloaded with information to the point where they cannot determine what is true and untrue.
Remarkable synchronicity is the dialog between the two main characters of the movie "At the Earth's Core" which I am now watching on the side: they comment on the situation they find inside the Earth, where the master race seems to have overpowered the more intellectual inhabitatants. To the two of them, "Brawn over Brains" is the obvious Status Quo, as they observe this in their world as well.
Is it not true that those who are the "Brawn" in this environment may well be just as intelligent as the "Brains", but they simply do not wish to burden their brains