Last week I wrote a piece – entitled The problem with equality – Part I – that featured thoughts from Alain de Botton’s witty and insightful book, Status Anxiety. It is fascinating to think that, ironically, democracy has amplified our level of discontentedness. Increased equality and freedom, bring with them increased comparison. So that the objectively richer, often feel subjectively poorer.
De Botton goes on to explain that this is not the only problem with equality. Having rid themselves of aristocratic disparity and class distinction, society (especially in North America and Europe) congratulated itself on the fact that now everyone would have an equal opportunity to flourish. And so they appeared to – at least for a few generations. Gradually though (perhaps because even -ocracies abhor a vacuum) “meritocracy” moved in to fill the gap left that the departing aristocracy left behind. The result: whereas previously one was appraised on one’s pedigree – now one was appraised on one’s performance.
If one was doing badly, then one had no-one to blame but oneself. And increasingly, others took it upon themselves to point that out to the hapless one. Previously the “haves” were no more likely to want to be one of the “have-nots” – but they could at least respect them and the place in society that God (or fate) had dealt them.
Meritocracy encouraged the evaporation of that respect. The poor were no longer so because the feudal lord or fortune had frowned on them – they were there by their own doing. They had had their opportunity, like everyone else, and they had blown it. By their own choice…by their own stupidity. Michael Young in The Rise of the Meritocracy (1958): “Today all persons, however humble, know they have had every chance… If they have been labelled ‘dunce’ repeatedly they cannot any longer pretend… Are they not bound to recognise that they have an inferior status, not as in the past because they were denied opportunity, but because they are inferior?”
Before raising our eyebrows or hands in horror at Mr Young’s comments – it would be worth examining our own hearts for any evidence of that same sentiment. Are we not all (at least some of the time) tempted to view those around us who are struggling as masters of their own (unenviable) destiny? As blame-worthy? As perhaps a little bit stupid? As maybe even just a ever-so-slightly inferior?
Contrast our tendency to think in these terms – terms of merit – with the gospel which is, above all, a story of grace. A story that is primarily about not getting what we deserve. As those who have been invited to be shaped by such a story: when it comes to people, “inferiority” should have no place in our vocabulary.
