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Meritocracy is not a problem with government, it is the solution. This badmouthing of Meritocracy is a way for the ones who are in power but don't deserve to be

by maeon3 14y ago

Meritocracy is not a problem with government, it is the solution. This badmouthing of Meritocracy is a way for the ones who are in power but don't deserve to be there as a way of maintaining that power. On the other hand, if you make it too easy for a young person to climb the ladder (working like a dog), than what's the point of getting to the top? There are no benefits to being there except you will be living a life with more hours at the office than ever before. The reason people work to climb the latter is because there is a reward where you can work less and tell others what to do, and they can't dethrone you. Remove that reward, and you may find a population regarding climbing the career latter as foolishness. Why would you want to take on a second job, for no extra pay, where the workload increases exponentially with the new upstarts out of college, and the right to take it easy is gone. Like a second job at McDonalds, the moment you take it easy, you are replaced. Why strive to get that?

stcredzero 14y ago
Merit == effort? I don't think so.
- hnal943 14y ago
  Merit == Value to others. Most of the time, that will require effort though.
  - stcredzero 14y ago
    Effort is a multiplier. It's not a term. That's why "merit == effort" is a very bad idea without more elaboration. As mentioned in the recent Bitcoin thread, getting 1000 people together to dig a hole is costly, but not necessarily that valuable. The real trick is, exactly which hole, where and when. Depending on those factors, the hole could literally be worth nothing or worth millions. All things being equal, effort can well be a deciding multiplier, however.
illuminate 14y ago
"Meritocracy is not a problem with government, it is the solution. This badmouthing of Meritocracy is a way for the ones who are in power but don't deserve to be there as a way of maintaining that power" The myth of meritocracy is more akin to predestination. A person is in power or successful, therefore they were more deserving of the position than others, regardless of privilege, nepotism, special opportunity, luck, originating class, etc. There is a vast difference between the people who push to make society MORE of a meritocracy than the people who push the false narrative that we ARE a meritocracy, especially those who use themselves as evidence of this.

by maeon3 14y ago

stcredzero 14y ago

Merit == effort? I don't think so.

hnal943 14y ago
Merit == Value to others. Most of the time, that will require effort though.
- stcredzero 14y ago
  Effort is a multiplier. It's not a term. That's why "merit == effort" is a very bad idea without more elaboration. As mentioned in the recent Bitcoin thread, getting 1000 people together to dig a hole is costly, but not necessarily that valuable. The real trick is, exactly which hole, where and when. Depending on those factors, the hole could literally be worth nothing or worth millions. All things being equal, effort can well be a deciding multiplier, however.

illuminate 14y ago

"Meritocracy is not a problem with government, it is the solution. This badmouthing of Meritocracy is a way for the ones who are in power but don't deserve to be there as a way of maintaining that power" The myth of meritocracy is more akin to predestination. A person is in power or successful, therefore they were more deserving of the position than others, regardless of privilege, nepotism, special opportunity, luck, originating class, etc. There is a vast difference between the people who push to make society MORE of a meritocracy than the people who push the false narrative that we ARE a meritocracy, especially those who use themselves as evidence of this.