Politically, it is more desirable for citizens to be uninformed morons, rather than people of intelligence. Persons as portrayed by the three stooges are what the pols want -- and more and more, they are getting them. Don't believe it? Watch O'Reilly's "Watter's World" when he interviews college students.

Seek the average--makes them more manageable.

Intelligence is increasingly rewarded today when it's misused for criminal activity with government powers -- intelligence derailed into conniving that extinguishes the value of other people's intelligence.

It's still economically valuable in some technology fields where government regulators haven't caught up because they didn't know enough to want to control it, but that is changing rapidly. The results but not the producers are valued.

But true intelligence is always a personal value to he who practices it.

This seems to be to goal of the public education system, along with extinguishing any knowledge of the history and values of the founding fathers along with teaching every thing except analytical skills and objective knowledge.

Unfortunately, stuff like "If it feels good, do it" is much shorter and easier to catch the eye.
Recall seeing that bumper sticker mostly on the back of yahoo-looking pickup trucks during the 80s down here in Bama.
Not to mentioned ShIt Happens, which got banned. I think. Did that get challenged court? Kinda don';t think so . . .

loved the quote so much had it put on a sweatshirt and wear it around.

Part of the great equalization plan. Make everyone equally dumb so no one feels bad or inferior. Don't give credit--"you didn't build that". Builds on envy and keeps knowledge and power in the hands of the ruling class. Celebrate excellence in only the crudest form: sports. That's where the money is. Muscle, not minds. Condition the masses to glorify war, parading destruction as achievement.

The lone individuals still gifted with intelligence persevere nevertheless in Darwinian splendor, and help raise the level of the rest--people like Gates and Jobs and Branson, and Sagan and Tyson and Attenborough, and Dawkins and Roddenberry and Rand.

This is so very true and has been that way for quite a while. If she noted it back then, that was before even I was born.