You are correct, regrettably, that most people are unwilling to deal with serious topics. I have seen statistics that says that reading is up post-pandemic, but people want escapism from their problems, not anything that addresses their problems. Your excellent question of how do we stimulate serious thinking is, I think, answered by writing and speaking about serious issues in everyday language (unlike the opaque language of academia). We need to try to connect serious answers with people’s everyday lives. We can’t make people care or think, but as crises emerge, if there are available accessible discussions of those crises and what causes them, some people will be willing to read and engage with them. That is the hope that drives me.