Genetics set the ceiling. Try as they might, achondroplastic dwarves will never make it to the NBA, and severe, congenitally retarded people will never have a

Genetics set the ceiling. Try as they might, achondroplastic dwarves will never make it to the NBA, and severe, congenitally retarded people will never have a significant, active contribution to human knowledge. These are off course extreme examples. There are several ways to be a good basketball player, or to become an intellectual (athleticism is less open to variety). But for an equal amount of work some people will end up better at some tasks than others.