Re:Ask HN: What should I do as a loser in meritocracy?
by onion2k on Wednesday June 16, 2021 @08:43AM
(#27527853)
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.
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.