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This is what bothers me about the concept of meritocracy. Sure, hard work is unquestionably a necessary component to success, but humans also require a large a

This is what bothers me about the concept of meritocracy. Sure, hard work is unquestionably a necessary component to success, but humans also require a large amount of capital investment (education, medicine, etc.) to reach their full potential; without that, they are doomed to the pool of unskilled labor. People are generally sorted into career hierarchies before they are even given a choice. What is the solution? I haven't a clue. Maybe an education system similar to Germany's, though I doubt that would catch on in the US.

Mirioron 7y ago
But I don't think that's really true in this day and age when it comes to programming. All the information to learn programming is out there. You have direct access to all of the lectures and materials of university courses.
- threatofrain 7y ago
  I speculate there are more intelligent people than people with strong psychologies (those who are committed to learning), but by filtering for the intersection you're throwing lots of industry advantage away. I also say that the problem people are bothered by is human suffering. Even if you don't like how meritocracy is conducted today, like maybe you feel that 50% of positions in society are not sufficiently merited, and even if you could snap your fingers and magically sort people by potential like an oracle, you are still left with a meritorious race where few people win and losers suffer bad. As a society we should contemplate more deliberately the fate of losers.
  - wincy 7y ago
    I failed out of college multiple times. My life was bad and unstable and I had panic attack and depression. I also have difficulty visualizing future rewards. I have one of these “weak” psychologies. I met my wife, who helped “smooth out” my moods, and went from someone who couldn’t hold down a job at Walmart to a software engineer making many multiples of what I did just five years ago. Even with the stability it mostly allowed me to take adderall without horrible behavioral side effects like compulsive gambling. You’re right though, for me I was basically forgotten and nobody cared at that point. It wasn’t until I hit rock bottom sleeping on my moms couch that things got better. I feel like I was pulled up out of a hell I didn’t know I could escape from.
- alexgmcm 7y ago
  Yeah, but then you still need the time and environment to be able to do it which can be hard if you are working long hours in two jobs or whatever to make rent. Then you have the old problem that in many companies HR will still want a degree cert. I think technical and professional education should be always available to people - it helps us all if people can reach their potential after all.

Mirioron 7y ago

But I don't think that's really true in this day and age when it comes to programming. All the information to learn programming is out there. You have direct access to all of the lectures and materials of university courses.

threatofrain 7y ago
I speculate there are more intelligent people than people with strong psychologies (those who are committed to learning), but by filtering for the intersection you're throwing lots of industry advantage away. I also say that the problem people are bothered by is human suffering. Even if you don't like how meritocracy is conducted today, like maybe you feel that 50% of positions in society are not sufficiently merited, and even if you could snap your fingers and magically sort people by potential like an oracle, you are still left with a meritorious race where few people win and losers suffer bad. As a society we should contemplate more deliberately the fate of losers.
- wincy 7y ago
  I failed out of college multiple times. My life was bad and unstable and I had panic attack and depression. I also have difficulty visualizing future rewards. I have one of these “weak” psychologies. I met my wife, who helped “smooth out” my moods, and went from someone who couldn’t hold down a job at Walmart to a software engineer making many multiples of what I did just five years ago. Even with the stability it mostly allowed me to take adderall without horrible behavioral side effects like compulsive gambling. You’re right though, for me I was basically forgotten and nobody cared at that point. It wasn’t until I hit rock bottom sleeping on my moms couch that things got better. I feel like I was pulled up out of a hell I didn’t know I could escape from.
alexgmcm 7y ago
Yeah, but then you still need the time and environment to be able to do it which can be hard if you are working long hours in two jobs or whatever to make rent. Then you have the old problem that in many companies HR will still want a degree cert. I think technical and professional education should be always available to people - it helps us all if people can reach their potential after all.