The thing I struggle with mentally is if Telos or one of the EOSIO chains has the superior foundation to build everything on or if the development on HIVE is so far ahead that it would cost so much and take so much time to catch up that it doesn't make sense.

This is kinda like saying you struggle mentally with people who live in developing nations. Why don't they just move to a developed nation? Are they stupid? When you come at it from a community standpoint the entire game changes.