<p>Do you think we live in a rigid meritocracy? Or do you think jobs are a whole lot more subjective, personal, and political? Does everyone at a prestigious college deserve to be there, or are they lucky, have connections, or have the social comforts to get through the drudgery of high school? Bottom line, do you feel like everyone is in a rat race, and the only way to the top is to take shortcuts or to know someone important?</p>
<p>On a side note, do you think women usually pick the smart guy over the obnoxious guy?</p>
<p>I do not believe that we live in a rigid meritocracy, or a rigid anything which allows for a great deal of serendipity in our lives. That is not to say that some of us have a better chance at jobs, college admissions and all sorts of other things just because of their families and friends. Everyone at prestigious colleges do not deserve to be there, some are just lucky, have connections and other outside reasons to have enhanced their chances. Some are just plain lucky. But luck can be a matter of being born with the right kind of IQ and personality too. It is definitely more difficult for some of us to achieve certain goals than others, and it is not fair, I agree. </p>
<p>The only way to the top is not shortcuts or knowing important people. There are more people who get where they are in terms of supporting themselves and families in a comfortable life style by hard, consistent work and doing the right things most of the time. Yes, luck plays it role in there too, but the chances for good luck increase when you do things a certain way. </p>
<p>I don’t know any women who hire obnoxious guys knowingly. None.The obnoxious guys hired are usually smart enough to keep their obnoxiousness hidden during the interview processes.</p>
<p>We do not live in a fair world and we do not live in a meritocracy (the two are not synonymous).</p>
<p>The US is a political democratic republic, but an economic oligarchy; so of course the rich and well-connected do better. Thus it has been, thus it is, thus it shall be unto the end if the majority of people do not take a stand and stop it.</p>