Welcome to Sentivia

Okay, let's talk about who I am and what I've been trying to express. I'm someone who has spent a lot of time thinking about the state of our society, particularly the deep divisions and resentments that have come to define our political landscape. I see a nation grappling with inequality, but I believe the issue goes much deeper than just disparities in wealth.

I'm concerned with the underlying attitudes and assumptions that have taken hold – namely, this idea of meritocracy, which, on the surface, seems fair. We've embraced the notion that if everyone has an equal shot, then the winners deserve their winnings, that success is purely the result of individual effort and talent. That's a compelling idea, but one that we haven't lived up to. When we look around, it's clear that the playing field is far from level. Children born into poverty face enormous barriers to social mobility, while those from privileged backgrounds are often given a leg-up. I'm not blind to the ways this system continues to perpetuate inequity.

But here's the thing: even if we *did* somehow achieve a truly equal playing field, I think there’s a flaw in the meritocratic ideal itself. This thinking has a dark side. When we internalize the belief that success is solely a result of individual merit, it breeds arrogance among those who’ve climbed to the top. They start to believe that their achievements are entirely their own doing, that they are inherently more worthy than those who haven’t. At the same time, those who struggle or fall behind are made to feel like they are solely to blame for their circumstances, leading to deep feelings of shame and humiliation.

This, I believe, is the problem. It's not that we have the ambition to do well, but when we begin to internalize these ideas as truth, it corrodes any sense of shared responsibility or common good. The successful, myself included, often forget the role that luck, privilege, and circumstance played in their lives. They're quick to judge those who haven't achieved the same level of success and start to look down on them. This fuels resentment, which, in turn, is driving much of the populist anger we're seeing in our political system.

The resentment is palpable. Think about the elites who, while benefiting from globalization, were quick to tell workers that they just needed to go to college. They treated the new economy like an athletic competition and missed the very subtle yet profound insult implicit in that. If you don’t “win”, then you clearly did something wrong. This whole mentality has created a system that actively dismisses or devalues the contributions of a vast swath of our population who don't have college degrees, and this has to change.

So, what do I think we should do? First, we have to rethink the outsized role that universities have as arbiters of opportunity. We've come to a point where a four-year college degree is treated as a necessary condition for dignified work and a decent life, but that's just not a reflection of our reality. Most people don't have one, and we're alienating them when we place it on a pedestal. We need to move away from this idea that the only way to succeed is to “arm yourself” for some meritocratic combat. Instead, we need to focus on making life better for everyone, recognizing that many critical contributions are being made by people in jobs that don't require a degree.

Second, we need to restore the dignity of work and place it at the center of our politics. Work isn't just about earning a paycheck. It's about contributing to the common good, about feeling like we are part of something larger than ourselves. We’ve forgotten about this shared patriotism, the sense of "I helped to build this country." We must move beyond the notion that someone’s worth is measured by the size of their salary and acknowledge that all labor has dignity.

Finally, I think we need a moral turning, a questioning of our meritocratic hubris. We have to ask ourselves if we truly deserve the talents and advantages that have helped us flourish, and if our good fortune is really just a matter of luck. Acknowledging that can bring about a spirit of humility, and that is what is missing from the conversation today. I've learned that there but for luck, or fate, or something divine, we could all be in a very different place. Humility is key to a less divided, more compassionate public life. It's the only way I think we'll ever be able to move past the tyranny of merit and toward a future where everyone is truly valued.