it's good and right to be compensated for the value you create There are ways to be compensated other than wealth, however. For example, many people would cons

it's good and right to be compensated for the value you create There are ways to be compensated other than wealth, however. For example, many people would consider that a tenured position at a prestigious university, with a generally very pleasant work environment, the freedom to work on whatever you like, to collaborate with whomever you choose, and to have the security of tenure, is ample non-monetary compensation. Academics also enjoy considerable prestige -- both in terms of their reputations to others in their field, and their respect from society at large. You may not value these sorts of non-monetary compensation, but some people do. making the greatest contribution to society and wealth are and should be married Perhaps they "should be", but in reality, I think they clearly are not. Perhaps an ideal system would be different, but that's not the system we have.