The problem is that Fermi’s paradox assumes interstellar travel to be an inevitable and achievable goal of intelligent life given enough time. Why should that be? I would argue that assumption is itself far more self-aggrandizing than what this article accuses the doubters of being. Why should we assume that intelligent life elsewhere in the galaxy that has progressed hundreds or thousands of years beyond our level of technology would even value interstellar travel? Maybe by the time such technology is possible, other grander frontiers that the human race cannot even perceive will be more compelling. Or maybe the practicalities make interstellar travel impossible. Why do we assume this is even a solvable problem given the resources available in a typical solar system? Or that such exploration would then be sustainable beyond the first leg?