aha moments; or fish are not aware of water

Have been having many of these this fall, actually. First realizing that I am part of one of the largest alumni networks in the whole US, after reading a book trying to describe it to the outsiders
Second, after reading this essay, I'm realizing part of why I'm stuck on Vector's Challenge. I've grown up surrounded by the rule of law, like a fish in water, and I can't get my head around a society where it's the rule of men...