I know I've been part of it, but I think this digression has gone on long enough to count as derailing the thread.

Folk are very welcome to start another thread if they wish to discuss how far companions/origins' backgrounds excuse the choices they make (a topic that can run and run, given that it's not one that has clear answers in real life either!), but let's draw a line under it here.

"You may call it 'nonsense' if you like, but I've heard nonsense, compared with which that would be as sensible as a dictionary!"