Could it somehow be both? Maybe if you have lower status, solving complex problems becomes relatively more important, because you have less alternative opportunities. For higher-status people, even when they are capable of solving problems, letting other people solve problems and just taking their stuff is probably more profitable. Losing status could imply that you should switch to problem-solving mode, because that’s the way to be useful to your new masters (and your quality of life now depends on their opinions).
Could it somehow be both? Maybe if you have lower status, solving complex problems becomes relatively more important, because you have less alternative opportunities. For higher-status people, even when they are capable of solving problems, letting other people solve problems and just taking their stuff is probably more profitable. Losing status could imply that you should switch to problem-solving mode, because that’s the way to be useful to your new masters (and your quality of life now depends on their opinions).