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Ask HN: What should I do as a loser in meritocracy?

4 points by rejectedandsad ↗ HN
I think I'm objectively a failure of our systems of meritocracy in education and in the workplace - I didn't go to an elite institution, and don't work at an elite institution now. It does seem like all of the pathways to upward mobility have been exhausted for people like me, and a reason may be innate. What should losers of meritocracy like me do in society?

6 comments

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[dead] drosan
> Meritocracy (merit, from Latin mereō, and -cracy, from Ancient Greek κράτος kratos 'strength, power') is a political system in which economic goods and/or political power are vested in individual people on the basis of talent, effort, and achievement, rather than wealth or social class.

I fail to see what does your education has to do with anything in that regard. Meritocracy is precisely the opposite - you earn your place under the sun with your skills and abilities. If you don't have them - learn them. If you don't want to - then yes, you're failure.

onion2k
The first thing to do is to understand that we don't live in a meritocracy.

People who go to the elite institutions and get jobs at the elite companies didn't all get there because they're better than other people. Some did, sure, but many others got where they are because they had a head start. Wealth and connections still have a huge impact on outcomes.

The second thing to do is to understand that how happy you are with your life is basically up to you. You can do pretty awesome things, and be very happy with what you do, even if you don't work to deliver adverts faster or hoover up more personal data while making a few billionaires a little bit richer.

flefto
How about you do things that actually have merit?

Not by some stupid elite standard, but by your own standard.

Stop comparing yourself to others. Be yourself, everyone else is taken.

Who cares about stupid elite schools and companies? Go live.

[dead] chaganated
Meritocracy?! Ha! I have a bridge to sell to anyone thinking these "artists" and "intellectuals" on television and social media got there on merit.

The dark path would be to amplify any race/gender/sexual identity credits you may have, and do fan service for the regime. The light path is to work a real job like electrician/plumber/mechanic/hvac. It's honest work, and I know electricians who make more than managers at google.