SUCCESS: The Dirty Secret of Getting Ahead

Meritocracy has evolved from a mechanism for social mobility into a rigid caste system that exacerbates inequality and diminishes human well-being. Yale law professor Daniel Markovits argues that this system structurally excludes the middle class while trapping the elite in a cycle of hyper-competitive, alienating labor. By prioritizing "superior" education over excellent training, society has created a feedback loop where wealth and status are perpetually concentrated. This dynamic fuels scandals like the college admissions fraud and contributes to declining life expectancy among the middle class, who are unfairly blamed for their own structural displacement. Addressing this crisis requires a systemic overhaul: expanding elite university capacity, reforming tax codes to favor middle-skill employment, and shifting toward micro-credentialing to decouple career advancement from prolonged, expensive academic requirements. These changes aim to restore dignity to work and dismantle the meritocratic trap.