First, because I implied it rather than stated, let&#x27;s explicitly scope that statement to students. I am saying that if weaker math students like a professor because he has easier material, they should find another school. Top research universities should not be diploma mills, and students should appreciate and take advantage of unique resources at these schools. It may be the last time a student has exposure to a world-class mathematician.<p>The reality is that top math departments are very competitive places. It&#x27;s realistic, not cruel. And feelings, yours or mine, aren&#x27;t the ultimate arbiter of truth.<p>I, for example, am a weak football player. It&#x27;s okay to say you&#x27;re weak on certain dimensions, and it&#x27;s in fact very important to assess as impartially as our limbic system allows because it prevents you from wasting time.<p>I wouldn&#x27;t break down trying to run the football field with Gronkowski because there were some elbows thrown. I don&#x27;t feel entitled to be a football player. I&#x27;d recognize the nature of the game I&#x27;m playing and find another one better suited to my skills. I also wouldn&#x27;t try to turn football into a different game.<p>Suggesting a student go to a liberal arts college focused on teaching rather than a major research university isn&#x27;t &quot;cruel and horribly antisocial&quot;. It&#x27;s allocating scarce resources effectively.