Everybody’s a little bit elitist
Not all monsters are born equal
When society’s brightest and most able think that they made good because they are inherently superior and entitled to their success; when they do not credit their good fortune also to birth and circumstance; when economic inequality gives rise to social immobility and a growing social distance between the winners of meritocracy and the masses; and when the winners seek to cement their membership of a social class that is distinct from, exclusive, and not representative of Singapore society — that is elitism.
Well said, Mr Goh Chok Tong, in this recent speech to alumni of Raffles Institution.
Some argue that, by definition, meritocracy as a system means certain people will end up being better off than others. Elitism, therefore, is a natural consequence. But it doesn’t have to be, because elitism is not about the state of having acquired wealth or success — it is the mindset of being superior and deserving of success. It is also about imposing your own experience in a narrow judgement of others without “walking a mile in their shoes”, and the lack of empathy toward those who have not enjoyed similar good fortune.
When you equate being poor to being lazy or stupid, you are being elitist. When you judge an older colleague who is lower ranked as less competent, you are being elitist. When you think being high-flying professionals entitles you and your spouse a car each, you are being elitist. When you wonder why low-wage cleaners don’t just go find a better paying job, you are being elitist.
Elitism is not necessarily just an ailment of society’s brightest and most able, as Mr Goh alluded to, but inflicts every one of us. You can be the richest man in the world without being elitist; yet at the same time, you can be a high school student who has accomplished zilch in life but have an elitist mindset. We are all guilty sometimes. Just like the foul-mouthed monsters in the musical Avenue Q singing “everybody’s a little bit racist”, we can say that everybody’s a little bit elitist from time to time as well.
But it’s okay, don’t be too hard on yourself. Try to remind yourself to be a little more humble, a little more empathetic and a little less judgemental. Go ahead, pat yourself on the back for what you’ve achieved, but don’t get too carried away.
This is not to discredit talent or hard work, but a recognition that luck must play a part in one way or another — a luck that many others may not have enjoyed. As Mr Goh quoted from Mr Ben Bernanke in a similar speech to Princeton grads:
A meritocracy is a system in which the people who are the luckiest in their health and general endowment; luckiest in terms of family support, encouragement and, probably income; …. and luckiest in so many other ways too difficult to enumerate – these are the folks who reap the largest rewards.
Still think luck has nothing to do with it?
You are the valedictorian of the graduating class who can even speak Mandarin — wow! — but like Yogi Bear you were lucky to be born smarter than the average bear.
You came from a broken single-parent family but worked hard to become a military general, then successful politician — inspiring! — but you were blessed with great health while all this was happening.
You battled business failure after business failure to be the multimillionaire that you are today — amazing! — but you wouldn’t even have gotten started if your parents were incessant gamblers constantly needing you to bail them out.
You were born with subnormal intelligence, lost your eyesight at three, your parents sold you to the circus because some strange disease was turning you into a freak, after which you ran away into the jungle, got attacked by hyenas that chewed away your legs, dumping you in wasteland where you got struck twice by lightning, yet somehow you overcame all that to become a professor in quantum physics by age 16 and an acclaimed painter by 21, before being appointed UN global ambassador and bringing lasting peace to the Middle East by age 30?
Hmm, okay, in that case you win hands down. You are truly the elite of the elite.
[…] – Breakfast Network: Heng ah…we’re not in charge of the OSC – Food Fuels Me To Talk: Cor, is Mr Heng Swee Keat for real? – The Void Decker: Everybody’s a little bit elitist […]
Nice, you are into Alain De Button’s territory here. Have you seen his “Status Anxiety” Ted video?
Nope I’ve not. Will check it out!
You, like Alex Au, trying to rename your “father” to mother. Please consult free online dictionary or people will accuse you of..you do know your ABC however, where is your cognitive ability?
“yet at the same time, you can be a high school student who has accomplished zilch in life but have an elitist mindset. ”
Btw…high school student has no political power nor the influence or clout; guess who does?
My cognitive ability is clearly not good enough to understand what you’re talking about.
No worries. Cognitive people and scholars didn’t understand the simple and frugal words of Jesus yet they wrote tons of words on him and his saying.
The world is full of useless literature.
What a hypocrite
And a coward too. Pui!
calm down
Don’t overplay the role of luck. If you’re consistently good at something, it is no longer luck. Whether it is inate talent or hard work, if you’re in top tier of your field, you deserve to be there. Meritocracy is to reward by achievement and ability. That’s why it is a fair system.
Then there shall be war because many will not listen, no many how you manipulate the meaning of “elitism”, to the …. old man!
It is Not a fair system, Period. Screw the elites!
Another form of elitism is in the social gestalt, when some people say that we should only compare our standards of living with the other first world nations, while forgetting that our current economic well-being is not born of god given providence. There are many other places on Earth where people live in extreme poverty with no hope of advancing their lot in life due to lack of economic opportunity and endemic corruption, just some things that we virtually take for granted.
I think at the highest level, elitism is expressed by the tendency to employ slippery slope arguments in justifying certain policies. It’s always we cannot do this or people will be disincentivised, demotivated or game the system. The govt leaders appears to assume the worst of its citizens.
“Some argue that, by definition, meritocracy as a system means certain people will end up being better off than others. Elitism, therefore, is a natural consequence.”
On that note, I shake your hand, and say I cannot agree more with you.
My own thoughts: if we’re pushing for “compassionate meritocracy”, would there then be such a thing as a “compassionate elite”? I mean, is there anything wrong with giving yourself a pat on your back and congratulating yourself for making it good if you’d worked your ass off and gained some success, and therefore be entitled to think you’re one cut above the rest?
But at the same time, still have the humanity and compassion for others, to empathise with issues on the ground and champion the woes of those on the streets whose fortunes have been worse off than your own?
I’d like to think it’s possible, and I can think of some names, but I think it’s better off leaving names out for now.
Or maybe it’s all just masks that people wear: in one context, it would be appropriate to be elitist when you’re a Havard MBA addressing your fellows at an alumni dinner and make certain comments that may come across as “exclusive elitism” by the out-group, say a non-Ivy League grad. At the same time, this same fellow could well be a millionaire philantrophist who goes around setting up trust funds to finance education for kids in the ghettos, and goes about doing so anonymously because he doesn’t want to tie any unnecessary accolades to himself and have others think it’s all for a show (sounds familiar?)
In the same vein then, if compassionate elitism is possible and does exist, would people then be more forgiving when quotes are taken off-context?
Hello!
We are pretty much in agreement, though I must point out that I make a clear distinction between elite and elitism (being elitist). Important to note that the latter is a mindset. One can be the elite without being elitist (or compassionate elite as you put it), and one can also have the elitist mindset without actually being an elite (which is what I think everyone should guard against).
[…] Here’s a little thought of mine after reading The Void Decker’s views that “everybody’s a little bit elitist” […]