Hey! teacher! Give those kids a bone...The rise of meritocracy.

Merit being rewarded is logical on so many levels.
Economic, social and political systems - all benefit from it.

But there is a bug in the system. A necessary bug? (A-la- matrix?).
Maybe. But maybe not..

That bug is called 'Assumption'. (we all know the saying 'to assume it make make an ass out of you and me).

We assume honesty, and the work ethic being a default setting in other people.
We assume principles of honesty, and respect, are the common threads in others.
We ASSUME this, because that's what we are, who we are, and what we do..

But what about those that don't play by the same rules we impose on ourselves?
What about those whose use our own principles against us, to get ahead?
Short term they can gain advantage - but it can never endure, as truth will out.
And meritocratic principles have to be based in truth, their is no other way.

(for ease, I'll use the terms 'meritocrat' and 'bureaucrat' to differentiate the mindsets)

The problem with the bureaucrat is the ability to hold everyone back. 2 steps forward, 1 step back kind of thing, as the pendulum swings from merit based expansiveness to the bureaucratic stifling.

Bureaucracy is the friend of the non meritocratic based individuals. Bureaucracy kills innovation.

How is this weakness to be overcome?
The energy needed to fight 'the stifling' , it just inefficient and wasteful.
If it could be eliminated (or at least reduced to 5 steps forward, one step back), it would just mean a better life for all.

This 'battle' has been fought over centuries, but as wealth has increased noticeably since the industrial revolution, it is no surprise that the non meritocratic individuals are trying to get more, for nothing.
There is simply more of 'it' to get!

The assumptive nature is the achilles heal. For while the meritocrat assumes their traits in others to be universal, the bureaucrat assumes their own traits are universal.
Lying, manipulation, cheating...
They assume everyone does it, also.

Life and experience can knock a lot of this 'assumptive' out of you, but that's a life lesson, and one not learned early on.

How do we stop this assumptivness of 'seeing the good in people' without it changing our nature?
How do we change this weakness into a strength?
We don't.
We employ the necessary tools to negate the problem. The right tools will minimize the 'assumptive' weakness.

Limiting democracy.

Democracy IS the bureaucrats friend.
Mediocrity becomes good enough. Democracy lowers the acceptable denominator.

What is illogical about letting people with a proven record of improvement, continue to let them do it - but for a wider group of people?
And by that same yardstick - what on earth is LOGICAL about 'allowing' some lazy, life inexperienced individual, take the reigns of power?
It makes no sense, truly - as we can see in the caliber of our politicians today..

Education

The big long term strategy. (a long term strategy that would start to yield spectacular result in less than 20 years!)

.....through philosophy, math and science.
These in themselves would lead to younger people 'knowing themselves' from a much earlier age.
Give them the tools available so as to be able to differentiate who are the merit based individuals, and who are 'the takers'.
This is essential to avoid the weakness of the 'assumptive' mindset being a major problem.

Ridding ourselves of this delusion that we are all equal.
We are not.
This does not mean better or worse, but an acceptance of the fact some people are better than others at doing different things.
The results of this would be a less angry and frustrated population, as is seen when the 'not so bright', are told that they are... when reality doesn't meet what they they have been told about their ability - it only leads to anger.
There is nothing wrong with not being 'the best'.
There is something wrong with not striving to be the best you can be.

But to be the best you can be, you have to know yourself first.

I knew from an early age I would never be 'the best' at any given sport. (with one exception, but that's not the point).
I accepted my limitations in this area, but it did not lessen my enjoyment of 'doing sport'.
It was not disappointing, it was accepting reality.

Without real education, these logical conclusions become harder to see. Reality is clouded.
Enthusiastic support of young people is just that. Nothing more.
And reality is just that, also. Nothing more.

There is only one winner.

Poor education allows for young kids to be brought up believing 'they can be anything they want'.
Well, guess what? They can't.
What they can do is find their niche in life by understanding themselves, and then strive to be the best they can be at it.

Being the best dustbin man in the world is no less successful than being the best brain surgeon in the world.

The 'assumption weakness' can be educated out of us . Early education will minimize the effects of the achilles heal we have.

Frustrations of not understanding who you are, and your limitations, only leads to anger, jealousy, and is expresses by a support of bureaucracy.
How many of those 'bureaucrats' would be achievers instead, with the right educational tools?
Logic that leads to 'knowing thyself'.

How many would be meritocrats in adult life?
Happy people full of smiles and enthusiasm, not negative individuals and full of cynicism and misery

Misery most definitely likes company.
And when enough miserable people get together, it becomes cancerous in it's collective behavior - it becomes a real threat to merit....
2 steps forward, one step back. (or 3 steps back if the cancer is allowed to fester and grow).

We will never totally rid ourselves of 'the bureaucrats'.
It can be hardwired, a pathology.
The 4% of sociopaths and narcissists will naturally gravitate to this.

Bureaucracy is a very attractive avenue open to them, to 'advance'.

Through good principals of education, we can give the best tools possible to young people to 'see' people for who they are.
To see who are 'the makers' and who are 'the takers', early on in life..

Assumptive weakness can be countered by good education. And meritocratic perspectives can be encouraged at the same time.

Know thyself, and be the best dustbin man you can be - or the best brain surgeon.

But don't let's 'mal educate' the young, to ever believe that you can be both..