I had a recent conversation with a millennial that started on a noncontroversial topic and pivoted to a discussion of equality, equal opportunity and equal outcomes.
Since my very bright, intelligent, and well-educated daughter was able to defend a position, we have debated the concept of equality; she taking the pro position and me taking the position that our equality only exists in the eyes of God and that in our earthly reality equality does not exist at all.
One of the fundamentals that makes our society extraordinary is that it is based on competition. A competitive environment motivates individuals to strive to do their best, but does result in a wider range of outcomes, less “equality,” and does leave some individuals behind, whom, for whatever reason, cannot adequately compete. It is important to have an economic safety net for those individuals and the provision for education and training until they have developed the motivation, mindset, and skills to compete at a self-sustaining level.
When I was growing up, I do not remember my parents ever mentioning the terms “equality or equal opportunity.” The message was that we live in a competitive society and if you are not doing as well as you want to academically, ask for help and study longer; or athletically, improve your skills and practice longer. Other messages included that: life is not always fair, learn to deal with it; you are responsible for yourself; you should not expect anyone to give you anything; if you want something, work for it; if you fail, work at it until you succeed; and never quit. The overarching message was always clear, although not always explicit: that if you are not at the top or near the top, you need to work harder and smarter. My parents did not want me to be “equal,” they wanted me to be the best.
Back to the millennial. I was amazed that the predominant attitude of this individual was that most of the individuals who are successful have reached that point by luck or by cheating. There was no recognition that maybe successful individuals work harder and smarter. It reminded me of a quote attributed to Thomas Jefferson and others; “I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.” Most successful individuals will tell you that they have had a certain amount of “luck” by being in the right place at the right time, but that it really was the result of very hard work and great sacrifice.
I get the impression from this millennial and from other millennials that, during the past 10 years or so, that many of them have developed a “participation-trophy mentality” and have been brainwashed to see individual success as a negative, collective equality as the goal, and await an extreme ideological shift where everyone and the outcomes of their efforts will be made “equal” by some mandate of the government. Does that mean that the government should take something away from individuals who are highly motivated and successful and redistribute it to those individuals who are less motivated and less successful to move toward greater “equality?” The ideological concept that government can legislate and control equality clearly comes from communist propaganda, promotes mediocrity, and is complete nonsense.
On Veteran’s Day, I again watched a very inspiring motivational speech by Admiral William H. McRaven, a former SEAL team commander. Although he was speaking from the perspective of Navy SEAL training, the lessons he expressed are very relevant to everyday life and summarized as follows: (1) Start the day with a task completed (Make your bed: the little things in life matter); (2) Find someone to help you through life; (3) Respect everyone; (4) Life is not always fair; move forward; (5) Don’t be afraid to fail often; (6) Take risks; (7) Face down the bullies; (8) Step up when times are the toughest; (9) Lift up the downtrodden; (10) Never give up. It is really worth the 16 minutes to watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBuIGBCF9jc
One has to ask the question, “What is being taught in our schools and universities that younger individuals are mesmerized by this socialist groupthink?” It would be very uplifting for the future preservation and success of our country to see many more millennials embracing more competitive life lessons instead of chasing the myths of equality and equal opportunity, and clamoring for some mandate from a socialist nanny state to provide equal outcomes.
John P. O’Rourke is a Conway resident.