then why did they put themselves at a disadvantage by not getting a degree relevant to the business world?
You are right, people get degrees in the humanities and go on to thrive in the business world, but if you asked those same people if they wish they had changed their major, many of them would have said yes.
In fact- the number one regret people have about college is the major they chose. In fact, the top four regrets all tie back to wishing they had used their time in college to better prepare them for a career.
http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/14/regrets-about-college/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0