That's very interesting, it makes you wonder about the way in which we've all been told to live life. I'm not sure of the answers, but you could be correct in it not being anywhere near how we should perceive the world. A simple example of how things are really strange, is the US Dollar bill, with Brenton Woods, it's still the reserve currency of the world, and I think all of them have written on them, 'in god we trust'.
I really think, they mean that piece of IOU is god; most people when observing what they value, or consider worthy to listen to, is almost always tide to who has more, 'in god we trust'.
What I'm trying to convey is the idea that even our sense of value, is purposely skewed from the top down; it's hard to know reality when there are monsters controlling are very means to see, and know the world.