Stepping Stone: Mythology of Meritocracy
In the river of life, few stepping stones reveal our shared human delusions quite like our relationship with success. This stone emerged from a troubling observation: successful people routinely attribute their achievements to personal character, hard work, and superior decision-making, while conveniently overlooking the overwhelming role that random chance, timing, and circumstance played in their ascent. Meanwhile, they often view those who haven't achieved similar success as lacking in character or effort.
Attribution Error
We live in a society that worships at the altar of meritocracy, believing that cream always rises to the top and that success is primarily a result of personal virtue. The successful entrepreneur credits their "vision" and "work ethic" for their billion-dollar company, rarely acknowledging that they happened to be born into the right family, attended the right school, met the right person at the right party, or launched their product at precisely the right moment in market history.
"Let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall." (1 Corinthians 10:12)
This verse warns against the pride that leads us to believe our achievements are entirely of our own making, while viewing others' struggles as evidence of their personal failings.
Lottery of Circumstances
Consider the stories we tell ourselves about success, and the uncomfortable realities they obscure:
The Tech Billionaire: The founder who claims their success came from "sleeping in the office" and "never giving up," while glossing over being born to parents who could afford to let them drop out of college, having access to early personal computers, or launching their startup during the brief window when venture capital was abundant and competition was minimal.
The Real Estate Mogul: The investor who attributes their wealth to "seeing opportunities others missed," while ignoring that they bought property in areas that happened to undergo unexpected gentrification, or that they inherited a down payment from family members who themselves benefited from discriminatory lending practices that excluded others.
The Celebrity: The actor who speaks about their "relentless pursuit of their craft," while overlooking that they happened to fit the exact physical type a casting director was seeking, or that they were discovered by chance at a coffee shop rather than through years of auditions that led nowhere.
The Academic: The professor who credits their tenure to "intellectual rigor" and "dedication to research," while minimizing that their graduate advisor happened to be working on tomorrow's breakthrough topic, or that they avoided the budget cuts that eliminated dozens of similar positions.
"For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?" (1 Corinthians 4:7)
This verse cuts to the heart of the matter: everything we have, including our abilities and opportunities, ultimately comes from sources beyond our control.
The Illusion of Control
Research in psychology reveals that humans have a fundamental need to believe they control their destiny. This "illusion of control" serves an important psychological function and it motivates effort and protects self-esteem, but it also creates dangerous blind spots. When we succeed, we attribute it to our character and choices. When we fail, we attribute it to bad luck or external circumstances. This asymmetry in attribution creates a profound disconnect from reality.
Studies show that successful people genuinely believe they worked harder than others, even when objective measures demonstrate otherwise. They remember the late nights and difficult decisions while forgetting the lucky breaks and helpful connections. This isn't conscious deception; it's how human memory and reasoning naturally operate.
The mathematician and investor Nassim Taleb observed that we live in "Extremistan" a world where small, random events can have massive consequences. The timing of when you were born, which school you attended, whom you happened to meet, whether you got sick at a crucial moment, or whether your industry was disrupted by technology you couldn't have predicted. Such factors often matter more than talent, character, or effort.
"I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all." (Ecclesiastes 9:11)
This verse recognizes what modern research confirms: outcomes in life depend heavily on factors beyond individual merit.
Survivorship Bias
We hear constantly from those who "made it," but rarely from the equally talented, hardworking individuals who didn't. For every successful entrepreneur who speaks at business conferences, there are hundreds of others who worked just as hard, made similar sacrifices, and possessed comparable skills, but whose ventures failed due to market timing, regulatory changes, or simple bad luck.
This survivorship bias creates a distorted narrative where success appears to be primarily about character traits rather than circumstances. We develop elaborate theories about what separates winners from losers, when often the primary difference is being in the right place at the right time.
Biblical View
Scripture consistently warns against taking credit for our achievements while ignoring divine providence and fortunate circumstances:
"But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today." (Deuteronomy 8:18)
"In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps." (Proverbs 16:9)
"From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." (Luke 12:48)
These verses emphasize that our abilities, opportunities, and resources are ultimately gifts that should be stewarded responsibly rather than sources of personal pride.
Dangerous Consequences
This mythology of meritocracy creates several harmful effects:
Lack of Empathy: When we attribute our success primarily to our character, we naturally assume others' lack of success reflects their character deficiencies. This breeds contempt for those struggling and resistance to social safety nets.
Policy Blindness: Societies that overemphasize individual merit tend to underinvest in the systemic changes that would help more people succeed, such as quality education, healthcare, and infrastructure.
Psychological Fragility: When our self-worth depends on believing we earned everything we have, any threat to our success becomes a threat to our identity. This creates brittle personalities that cannot handle setbacks gracefully.
Perpetual Anxiety: The flip side of taking full credit for success is taking full blame for any decline. This creates enormous pressure and anxiety, as we feel responsible for maintaining success in systems largely beyond our control.
A Humble Perspective
Recognizing the role of luck doesn't diminish the importance of effort, skill, or character. These factors certainly matter and increase our probability of success. However, they operate within a larger system of chance events that often determine final outcomes.
The healthiest perspective acknowledges both elements: we should work hard and make good decisions while remaining humble about outcomes and grateful for favorable circumstances. This recognition should inspire gratitude rather than pride, and generosity rather than judgment.
Conclusion
This stepping stone teaches us to:
- Recognize that success results from a combination of effort, skill, and fortunate circumstances
- Approach our achievements with humility rather than pride
- Show compassion for those who haven't experienced similar luck
- Use our advantages to help others rather than as evidence of our superiority
- Build policies and systems that acknowledge the role of chance in human outcomes
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time." (1 Peter 5:6)
This verse captures the spirit with which we should approach success: with humility, recognizing that our achievements depend on factors beyond our control.
As we continue our journey, this stepping stone reminds us that we are all subject to the same forces of chance, regardless of our current station in life. The path forward requires honesty about the role of luck in success, gratitude for our circumstances, and compassion for those who haven't been as fortunate.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith. And this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one may boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
This verse offers the ultimate perspective on achievement: even our greatest accomplishments pale in comparison to what we have received as pure gift, leaving no room for boasting and every reason for gratitude.