The author pulls a switcharoo. He starts off arguing that the world believes in meritocracy and then proves this belief is false by demonstrating the world is not perfectly meritocratic. But I imagine very few of the people he refers to who believe in a meritocratic world believe it is perfectly meritocratic.

He then makes a weak argument based on some psychology 301 research that a belief in meritocracy can be harmful. I'm somewhat convinced. But the problem is meritocratic structures are very useful, and if we dismantle meritocratic belief I doubt meritocratic structures would be far behind. And I'd rather live in a world where we at least strive for a meritocracy and fail then one where we give up.