Equality, Really?
Is the idea of equality a myth to assuage humanity? Why do some persist that everyone is equal? Is there such a thing as equality? In actuality, aren't there people better than others whether it is socioeconomic, education, life chances, intelligence, &/or looks while conversely, there are others far worse off in the aforementioned areas? Why equality will NEVER be achieved? Your thoughts on the subject?To be equal, one has to be the same. We are all different. We are born with different genes, into different environments, and this affects our potential. Add to that, different political and economic hierachies, and outcomes are different for each person as well. So, in terms of our material world, there is no equality between us.
While education and and high skill set certainly bring about power and money, Prince Harry, Boris Johnson, Donald Trump don't have that much education. Some would argue they have zilch. What they had were parents with power and money. Statistically, this is the norm.
Power is NOT EARNED. It is the result of birth and money. Thomas Petty pretty much showed that in his book, 'Capital in the 21st Century.' The vast majority of moneyed people were born into money. Gates? Take a long look at his background. He was born into money. His parents could afford to send him to a private school that was fully provided with computers in a time when most people didn't have them. He then went to Harvard. How many parents can afford that? Research has shown repeatedly that people who make money come from moneyed backgrounds.
You say one has to have the mindset to attain power. That is true to some respect. Twenty percent of CEOs are psychopaths. There is a direct correlation between power/money and psychopathy. It is not possible to make money and have power with strongly psychopathic characteristics. Even those without the full blown spectrum (20%) have high degrees of it. Forbes magazine has written about it quite a lot - that psychopathy is a good business trait for CEOs.
Most people are followers - not slaves. This is part of the mammalian condition. In all mammals, 19 out of 20 are followers while one out of 20 is a leader. This has to do with brain chemistry.
The leader has a stronger will intellectually, plus the abilityt to withstand suffering, influence of others, drugs, drinks, etc. to a greater degree. The leader can stand against the group and the follower cannot. The leader takes instruction from within. The follower needs the affirmation of the group in order to feel safe. But slaves? No. Simple biology.
To come back to equality.
We cannot be equal in terms of Mother Nature. We can, however, be guaranteeed equal opportunity to live lives of well-being and safety through a political and economic system. We have, as yet, not yet achieved that. Our systems have all fostered inequality (capitalism does that as well). This has been so since mankind stopped being nomads and became farmers. Paleontologists have found a couple of exceptions where they cannot differentiate in status and all are equal, but they are the exception - not the rule.
Post-capitalism may well bring in a new economic system in which the inequalities are less marked. We'll have to wait and see.
With all of that said, there is something more precious than our genes, our status, our material circustances, and that is our life force. We do not yet know what it is, and its value is.
As a human, I would be very scared of thinking someone inferior to me, and I would certainly never think someone is superior to me. I count myself as equal to all, and all are equal to me - even though like Wilderness who drive me absolutely nuts!
And you're not going to comment? I am undone!
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