Meritocracy or Mediocrity? Which do you prefer?
Is excellence a good thing? Or is making everyone equitable, so no one person shines, makes more money, or succeeds in life, a better way to go? Would you rather live in a society where everything and everyone at all times is on a “level playing field?” Or is it preferable to have winners and losers in American life?
I can’t seem to let the question of meritocracy and mediocrity go. Maybe it’s because I see mediocrity all around me. People want a big paycheck but don’t want to work hard. Similarly, there’s less emphasis on entrance exams for higher education. It’s fashionable to have everyone be a “winner” by dumbing down requirements so Americans will have lower expectations of themselves.
Let me ask this question: Have you lowered your expectations for your doctor’s qualifications? What about the teachers whom you are paying to teach the next generation? What about the military? Is it okay to have a likable professional with few qualifications for the job? Or do you want someone who stands out with experience and schooling to serve your needs? You generally can’t have both.
If you want excellence, there will be winners and losers. Feelings get hurt in a meritocracy. Someone is better than you at a particular skill. Accept it. If you want Americans to “feel good about themselves,” you will not get the most qualified people to serve you. I would argue that pushing mediocrity in America leads to a depressed society where no one wins, and everyone eventually is a loser.
Indeed, that is where I think our country is today. We’ve allowed mediocrity to be the new gold standard. We’re discovering it’s last place, not the feel-good society we were told would bring.
There will always be people who have more than you and less than you. There will always be people who are the best at what they do, and you may not be one of them in certain areas of life.
Either Americans adjust to this reality, or we will self-destruct. Our Founders would not let that happen. Neither should we.
This is Common Sense Civics and Citizenship.🇺🇸
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