A short conversation about usefullness

"I want you tell me exactly what happened on that island."

"Well sir, once the cruise ship sank and those of us who survived washed up on shore, we assessed our prospects for rescue and looked at how much food and supplies we had and how many of us there were. It was pretty obvious that there wasn't nearly enough to sustain us all for any extended length of time."

"Go on."

"So we sat down in a circle and tried to figure out who among us was truly essential to keep around for the sake of the group's survival and who would just be a useless drain on precious resources. In the cases of the doctor and the carpenter, that was pretty easy to determine."

"Yes, I understand."

"But as we went around the circle, people pleading their cases made some really interesting points. A policeman pointed out that he was needed because someone should be there to enforce order. A grocery store clerk said that his skills in inventory management would be beneficial. A used car salesman pointed out that his excellent communication skills and smoothly persuasive manner would come in handy if we were to encounter hostile people at some point. Even an unemployed musician made a compelling argument that the entertainment he could provide could soothe people's nerves and help reduce the stress level among the group. It was kind of surprising that so many different people with a such a wide variety of individual skills were able to present valid, legitimate points about serving a purpose in our combined effort to survive."

"And is that when you cooked and ate the NFL sideline reporter?"

"Oh no, we did that before we even started talking about any of this."