I expect that, as with most domains of expertise, communicating deep insights rather requires writing at least one textbook (with exercises), and very few people read textbooks. Similar to how you can often understand the argument that a professional mathematician/economist/biologist makes, but they are unable to teach you to be just as good as them.
I think the correct response to the quote would be “Can you not in fact explain some people’s great success by their having an accurate implicit theory of history?”
What if I published the true theory in a book and a billion people read it? Would they all get extremely powerful?
I’m equally skeptical. Suppose you discover it’s great man theory and you know you aren’t one of those extremely driven, extremely charismatic people?
I expect that, as with most domains of expertise, communicating deep insights rather requires writing at least one textbook (with exercises), and very few people read textbooks. Similar to how you can often understand the argument that a professional mathematician/economist/biologist makes, but they are unable to teach you to be just as good as them.
I think the correct response to the quote would be “Can you not in fact explain some people’s great success by their having an accurate implicit theory of history?”