So this answer is functionally meaningless.
Wait a minute, you mean to tell me that there are people out there who justify their own life choices by insinuating that they are better? I am shocked. Shocked, I tell you!
It is functionaly meaningless (or worse) if used to justify life choices, and especially if to be haughty.
It is not functionally meaningless if the values and prioritization of values are used to make life choices.
Avi K says everyone needs to do their job. Okay, but what if someone has the ability to do either? Should he choose to spend most of his day learning Torah or computer programming?
Should a girl want to marry a talmid chochom? If a boy wants to devote a number of years to learning, does this give him a better chance than if he doesn’t?
Do we show more respect to talmidei chachomim than to non talmidei chachomim? Halachah says we do. Perhaps political correctness says we don’t?
Personally, I would show more respect to Rav Chaim Kanievsky than to an erliche balabus who is koveia ittim. Is there anyone here who disagrees?
None of this says that a kollel guy is automatically better, but let’s be honest – Yiddishkeit puts tremendous value on Torah learning, on many levels, and even though we value every Yid’s contributions, let’s not forget that Talmud Torah k’neged kulom.