How cruel is meritocracy
On paper, it sounds great. Those of merit get the prize. Such a persuasive argument. Rational. And horribly enduring.
Yet, like all things, when we fail to include context, when we fail to look at merit through a systems lens, we end up rewarding only one class.
Born into privilege, given access to the best of everything, and then a direct line to the already powerful, meritocracy works well when you start in the higher classes of society.
Baked into the myth of meritocracy and reinforced through all media is the story of the winner and loser. This story is deliberately told to younger people so meritocracy can thrive and endure.
The shame of the loser. But without any context, and certainly zero equality.
It is a sick disease that seeds superiority in those who begin higher up the ladder, and shame and unworthiness that are baked into the psyches of those who start far down the ladder.
When we are indoctrinated to believe that success is based on winning, success is based on merit, and we strip out context, those who begin their lives with privilege, who know no other world, can easily look upon all the ‘losers’ and see lesser people. This justifies how they treat the losers.
The unwashed. The undeserving. Trash.
One step from dehumanising. And then violence, be it physical or systemic, becomes easy.
Photo Taken December 14th 2024, Article written December 15th 2024
