Chapter 1: The Concept of Merit

What does merit truly mean? Does it refer to a person’s inherent qualities or their actions?

My father, an entrepreneur from Oklahoma, often shared a tale that highlighted the distinction between "us" and "them." The story goes as follows:

In a certain factory, a complicated machine was essential for a key manufacturing operation. One day, this machine malfunctioned, halting production. Technicians rushed to diagnose the issue but, after hours of effort, reported no success. The company president recalled "Old Bob," the retired engineer who had designed the machine, and called him for assistance.

Old Bob arrived, inspected the machine, adjusted some screws, and ultimately drew an "X" on the machine's casing, indicating where the problem lay. He advised, "Open it up and replace the broken cog." His bill for this service? A staggering $10,000. The president was taken aback: "You want $10,000 just for marking an 'X'?"

Bob replied, "I’m charging for knowing precisely where to draw the 'X'." The payment was promptly made.

In this narrative, Old Bob represents those who possess specialized knowledge, while the technicians symbolize the uninformed. This story, told by numerous entrepreneurs, was meant to convey that people earn their status through unique understandings and skills.

Entrepreneurs like my father would assert that their success stemmed from being exceptional—having insights that ordinary individuals lacked. They believed that, like Old Bob, they constructed intricate businesses that only they could manage. Their self-reliance was powered by merit.

Old Bob's Unique Skill

Of course, a closer examination reveals a different perspective. Old Bob assembled the complex machine without imparting how it functioned. He neglected to create a user manual or a maintenance guide. His design, if documented at all, explained the machine's components but failed to clarify the crucial reasons behind its complexities.

By not providing necessary documentation and training, he transformed a vital machine into a bottleneck. Maintaining it required specialized knowledge that only he possessed. In essence, without Old Bob, the machine was rendered useless. He wasn’t merely a service provider; he was an unintentional owner, with the company paying him $10,000 every time the machine failed.

Old Bob's expertise was not particularly special; it was merely secretive. His assumptions were not rooted in merit but rather in pride or self-interest. He developed that machine while receiving a salary to resolve such issues, gaining knowledge from educators or craftsmen. He likely sourced parts from suppliers who had already addressed many underlying challenges. Ultimately, Old Bob should have faced criticism for wasting the company's resources on an unserviceable contraption.

As defined by the Oxford English Dictionary:

merit: [NOUN] the quality of being particularly good or worthy, especially so as to deserve praise or reward.

Merit does not equate to wealth, fame, or hidden knowledge. True merit reflects the actions taken by individuals in response to their circumstances and the value those actions contribute to society. While merit can be attributed to individuals, it fundamentally concerns their deeds. Many individuals consistently provide value: those who apply their skills effectively and with humility. However, the merit acknowledged by society often overlooks these unsung heroes.

Society mistakenly believes that merit is linked to success. Is the company president in that position due to superior merit or superior networking? Did the Ivy League graduate demonstrate exceptional merit or simply benefit from resources? Does the impoverished father in a Russian tenement lack merit, or merely opportunity? Each of these individuals made distinct choices within their unique contexts, leading to outcomes based on available options. True merit would be associated with their actions despite external resistance. The end result does not inherently define merit.

Expressions like "you make your own luck" or "fortune favors the bold" mask the reality that they were coined by those who found themselves fortunate at crucial moments. Looking back without embarrassment demands a more heroic narrative.

The Foundations of Merit

Everyone experiences both good and bad days. On a good day, everything aligns perfectly. We’ve all had those moments: crafting a flawless birdhouse, formulating an insightful concept, or finally grasping a complex plot twist. Conversely, a bad day might involve tripping over a pet, misplacing a phone, or showing up to a wedding at the wrong venue.

This fluctuation in performance applies even to highly skilled individuals, as highlighted by Daniel Kahneman in his book "Thinking, Fast and Slow." He recounts how Israeli military flight instructors believed that praising pilots led to poorer performance the following day, while scolding them yielded improved results. This misunderstanding, known as regression to the mean, suggests that exceptional performance tends to be followed by average results, and vice versa. Pilots were judged on these outlier performances rather than their overall capabilities, which misrepresented the impact of praise.

Even skilled doctors in the 1960s struggled to assess the immediate needs of newborns accurately. Dr. Apgar recognized this issue and introduced a straightforward algorithm for evaluating newborns, now widely adopted in hospitals.

The reality is that individuals who are compensated for their skills also have their ups and downs. On good days, their contributions are celebrated; on bad days, they are quickly forgiven because merit can be a heavy burden. I experienced this dynamic during my time at Sun Microsystems in the early 2000s, where my previous successes overshadowed my errors.

Kahneman sums this up with two equations:

success = talent + luck

great success = a little more talent + a lot of luck

This doesn’t imply that hard work doesn’t enhance performance; rather, the notion that merit is a constant attribute of extraordinary individuals is fundamentally flawed. The actions demonstrating merit can become outdated. Experts may tire or lose interest, yet their past merits continue to be recognized. Philip E. Tetlock, in his book "Expert Political Judgment," explores the pitfalls that experts often encounter after their initial successes.

This is the same issue that led neonatal doctors to mistakenly declare a failing infant healthy or prompted me to suggest an ill-advised change to a working program. It’s a reflection of how merit can sometimes stem from luck. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, in "The Social Contract," identifies four forms of inequality: wealth, power, rank, and merit. While merit may be challenging to exhibit initially, it often seems to persist despite subsequent failures. Individuals like Michael Steele, Newt Gingrich, and Steve Schmidt have gained power through various means yet continue to be given platforms to share outdated insights.

Publicly recognized merit often favors certain groups. George W. Bush's public merit stemmed from graduating from an Ivy League school, largely due to his father's influence, a privilege that paved his way to the presidency. In contrast, most applicants from less privileged backgrounds must prove their merit just to gain entry into elite institutions, marking the beginning of a challenging journey to establish public acknowledgment.

Elon Musk, raised in a privileged environment, was able to present himself as a prodigy and amassed wealth to start multiple companies, though only one has proven genuinely valuable. His business missteps haven’t diminished his fervent supporters. Merit, it seems, clings on stubbornly.

Bill Gates, the esteemed Microsoft founder, shifted his focus to philanthropic endeavors after retiring in 2008. However, his initiatives often disrupted experienced educators, pushing for charter schools and merit-based assessments without sufficient knowledge of education. His public merit ensured that education policymakers listened to him.

We reward those fortunate individuals with lifelong comfort, while Aunt Mae's brilliant ideas to address government deficits remain known only to a select few. The issue lies not in recognizing genuine accomplishments as meritorious but in the persistent visibility of public merit compared to the fleeting nature of private merit demonstrated by countless unsung heroes.

Chapter 2: Rethinking Merit for All

Individuals who achieve greatness deserve recognition, yet we must resist the notion that such accomplishments grant them permanent authority. People should strive to do good, embracing both success and failure. Society must celebrate efforts and assign merit to actions rather than individuals. Everyone who genuinely tries is likely to engage in commendable actions at times, which can apply to nearly anyone on a good day.

We should allow individuals who demonstrate merit the opportunity to replicate their successes but refrain from accepting their future contributions as infallible. A person may provide immense value temporarily, then experience a prolonged period of stagnation, only to find renewed inspiration later. We should attentively observe those who offer value, while critically evaluating their claims. Initial merit should not be the basis for enduring errors.

It’s time to reconsider our approach to merit. We should collectively promote the contributions of all individuals and encourage the sharing of valuable ideas from everyday people. Those who consistently provide verified value should be given the chance to continue, but we must also be willing to set aside those who no longer serve, allowing space for fresh and innovative concepts.

Let's aim to celebrate everyone’s achievements while supporting them during challenging times, and be judicious in evaluating contributions during less favorable periods. In such a world, we wouldn’t recognize today’s media pundits automatically. The expert who gains respect for their scholarly work should not be presumed knowledgeable on unrelated issues. Discussions on critical topics should involve qualified professionals rather than individuals whose merit stems from past connections.

Ultimately, we must reassess how we define and reward merit. The notion of merit has been misused as a means to gain power and influence, sometimes entrenching outdated biases in our culture. Whether it’s entrenched institutions or media figures clinging to antiquated ideas, it is vital to phase out those that no longer apply. Individuals of merit must be challenged to produce current value, and we should only recognize actions that serve the present.

Julian S. Taylor is the author of "Famine in the Bullpen," a book focused on revitalizing software engineering.

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