Meritocracy - Good or Bad?

Having experience the system of meritocracy in Singapore, many thoughts and feelings have been flowing through my mind lately. I would like to highlight the some of the good and bad that meritocracy may have brought to the society as a whole. This post will be covering some views and opinions from myself. 

.....  

Alright, I believe everyone is familiar that meritocracy is the system being practiced throughout the years of independence since its separation from Malaysia. 

The principle of Meritocracy is that everyone will be guaranteed equal opportunities to excel or succeed in life, regardless of his religion, race or social status. The allocation of rewards is on the basis of individual's merits, abilities and achievements. At this end, we could see that there would be no equal outcomes for every individual. That's pretty much life, I know. 

The good that Meritocracy brings about is that every individual would be motivated and very driven to work hard to reach their goals. Be it one may come from a lower social status than others, it does not lower the chances of him/her from becoming successful. This system creates a positive attitude and an-all-out mindset out of the society - striving to achieve the best they can with their abilities and, in turn, hoping that their hard work and efforts will be recognized and paid off with rewards. This also makes it easier for the government to select the cream of the crop to take up more important roles and jobs in the country. A country filled with individuals that are motivated and constantly striving for their best would indefinitely bring benefits to the growth of a country.

Time and again, have proved that everything has its good and bad. This will bring me to my next point.

What bad has Meritocracy brought about to the society? 

The system, however, has inevitably shaped some youths to be selfish and only to be concern about their performance most of the time. As a result, leading to an even more stressful and competitive environment for every child - which is not very healthy for the growing phase of an individual. Because of how the system works - outcomes are not equal for everyone, people starts caring for themselves more and so that they would stand a chance to reap the rewards. To add on, a sphere of elites have also been established in every institution, and viewing this at its extreme - people who are not in the sphere would feel left behind and left out by the system. Since the system emphasizes more on the individual ' I ' than the collective "we". And at its worst, the winners of the system may believe that they only have themselves to thank for the success they have. 

That is all for my opinions and views on Meritocracy. I understand there may be some factors you have in mind, which are not mentioned by me. You can comment on this post or on my Facebook post, and I'll be willing to hear them out from you. Sharing our views will make us understand our home country better.