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Meritocracy is a false belief
As with any ideology, meritocracy justifies the status quo, explaining why people are in a specific place in the social order.
Meritocracy also offers flattery. When success is determined by merit, each win can be viewed as a reflection of one's own virtue and worth. Material wealth is viewed as personal superiority, while worldly failures become signs of individual defects and a reason why they deserve to remain there.
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Most people think the world is meritocratic. 84 % of people in the UK believe that hard work is essential for getting ahead, and 69 % of Americans believe that people are rewarded for intelligence and skill.
Although this view is widely held, it is demonstrably false. Talent and t...
Debates about the extent to which specific individuals are 'self-made' over the effects of various forms of 'privilege' can be very heated.
It is not just about who gets to have what, but about how individuals validate and take credit for their successes. Proposing that success is the resu...
The 'even playing field' metaphor is used to avoid unfair inequalities based on gender, race, etc. Ironically, attempts to implement meritocracy leads to the inequalities that it aims to avoid.
This 'paradox of meritocracy' happens because adopting meritocracy as a value convinces peop...
Meritocracy is a leading social ideal where the rewards of life - money, power, jobs - are distributed according to skill and effort. It is often referred to as 'creating a level playing field' where players can rise to the position that fits their merit.
Meritocracy is o...
Research in psychology and neuroscience suggests that believing in meritocracy makes people more selfish, less self-critical, and more prone to acting in discriminatory ways.
Multiple studies found that subjects who are made to believe that they had won based on skill made...
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To be successful, you need to act in an environment that favors your results rather than blocking them.
Motivation, talent, and effort do have matter, but your personal characteristics tend to get overpowered by your environment.
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The odds are always fifty-fifty. But most of us anticipate better odds, or better luck, after a bad streak, as if now we are due for good luck.
This ‘Gambler’s Fallacy’ assumes that probability as a whole has memory, and if the coin is flipped ten times and shows ‘head...
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The term expert defines a person who is very knowledgeable about or skillful in a particular area.
Experts are specialists who, as a rule, are always right when it comes to their topic. However, they are also the ones who are the most at risk to promote obsolete ideas unless they ke...
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