Meritocracy Part 2: So…What Does Social Justice Have to Say About All This?

Last time we talked about meritocracy — that very catchy idea that if you just work hard enough, stay disciplined enough, and optimize your life like a 5-year business plan…you’ll “make it.”

And sure, effort matters. Nobody is saying it doesn’t. But at some point, a lot of people quietly start asking themselves: “If I’m trying this hard…why does it still feel so hard?” And that’s usually where the next layer of the conversation begins.

Meritocracy often tells us:“If you work hard enough, you’ll succeed.”

Social justice gently responds:“Okay…but are we pretending everyone started from the same place?”

Because effort matters, yes. But so do racism, poverty, disability, migration, trauma, mental health, discrimination, grief, family responsibilities, and access to resources. Some people are climbing the same mountain with clear paths and light loads, while others are expected to make the journey carrying heavy backpacks, emotional wounds, and no guidance on where to go.

Again, this isn’t really about dismissing hard work and dicipline. It’s about expanding the conversation with more honesty, context, and compassion. Because the truth is: not everyone starts from the same place.

Some people begin life with safety nets, opportunities, financial support, and access. Others begin by surviving.

From an anti-oppressive perspective, social justice asks us to look beyond individual effort and consider the bigger picture. It asks us to notice how systems impact people differently and how some communities are expected to work twice as hard just to receive basic dignity or opportunity.

The uncomfortable (but important) zoom-out: So here are some questions worth sitting with — not to shame ourselves, but to get a more honest picture:

• What support systems did I actually have (or not have) growing up?

• What traumatic experiences am I carrying that no one else can see?

• What doors were harder for me to access?

• What role has financial challenges played in my choices?

• How have things like racism, ableism, migration, or discrimination shaped opportunities around me?

• And…what part of my life is just “life happening” and not a reflection of my worth?

Here’s the hopeful part that often gets missed in these conversations: once we stop reducing ourselves to productivity scores, something softens.

There’s more room to breathe. More room to be human. More room to understand that life is not a race with a single finish line, but a very uneven path where we are all carrying different experiences.

And maybe we can start noticing our stories with less judgment, recognizing that our struggles have context, and gently replacing “What’s wrong with me?” with “What have I been carrying?”

Because when we start seeing ourselves more clearly and more compassionately, we also start seeing others differently too — with less comparison, less shame, and more understanding.

And that shift doesn’t fix everything overnight. But it does open a door.

A door toward gentler self-talk.
Toward more self-acceptance and realistic expectations.
Toward rest that doesn’t require justification.
Toward a version of success that feels more authentic.