Chapter 24. It's Not Always A Meritocracy Now, let's get to one of the hardest things I have to say in this book: it's not always a meritocracy. Let's face it: even in the 21st century Western world, it's not always those who have the best talent, those who come up with the best ideas, or work the hardest, who get the biggest prizes in life. Things like money and connections still matter, and they perhaps still matter more than anything else, even in our society today. It's simply a matter of fact. We may wish society to be fairer, we may even put in some effort to make it fairer, but at the moment, it really ain't so fair yet. Equality of opportunity is a major aspiration, on which society has moved forward quite a bit in the past two centuries, but there is still a long way to go.
Unfortunately, part of growing up is to know this truth, and to come to terms, and make peace with, this fact. Not everyone who is good 192
