Equality for Everyone

I’ve been contemplating what the end result could be if all of the world’s peoples were treated equally in all aspects of life. I’m not talking about providing equal opportunity for everyone or providing sufficient entitlements which allow our poorest citizens to sustain their lives. I’m talking about making everyone absolutely equal in all ways.

I’ve been thinking about this scenario because it seems that the intellectuals and liberal minded among us perceive that our ultimate goal should be the fight for and the attainment of equality for all. In the abstract, that goal seems to have some merit. And, I certainly agree that if we could possibly achieve such a utopian existence, it would be well worth the struggle to attain it.

However, my current conclusion is that, in practical terms, that perfect state cannot be attained in the real world in which we currently exist. Pragmatically speaking, that goal cannot be achieved, no matter the level of effort or the purity of the dream.

Let’s imagine first the mechanics of providing the resources required for everyone to enjoy. We would necessarily need to redistribute the wealth of the world so that everyone would have an equal amount of financial resources and equivalent accouterments in terms of housing, transportation, clothing… Well, that’s a non-starter right there. We cannot possibly create an environment or a society in which everyone would feel that their house, their car, their clothes... are as good as their neighbors. For example, if one family has a bathroom in the master bedroom while someone else must walk down the hall to a bathroom shared by the children, equality would not have been attained.

And, how could we possibly think that we can create work environments in which people would perceive themselves to be equal to everyone else. Then, we couldn’t have bosses. We couldn’t have group leaders. And, the guy who cleans the windows would have the right to make CEO decisions when called upon. It’s impossible to create an equal work environment.

Those are just a few examples taken to extreme. But, the point is that equality in the abstract cannot be implemented in the real world. We all aren’t equal in almost any aspect and we never will be. Instead, we occupy a distinct position on the spectrum of specific attributes or skill sets. Some of us are good mathematicians. Others are good poets. Some of us like to work with our hands while others abhor the thought of dirty fingernails.

So, let’s forget about the abstract goal of equality for all. That’s not going to happen. Instead, we should focus on giving everyone the opportunity to succeed. We can provide the resources for everyone to become successful if they work hard, apply themselves and accept the notion that our individual talents will tend to channel us into the best work environment which will allow us to be proud of our personal contribution and provide the mechanism for society to flourish and continually transform itself as conditions change.

This notion of equal opportunity instead of perfect equality will naturally cause inequities in pay and specific career choices. We all cannot be the CEO of a large corporation. Some of us will need to accept other positions in other disciplines. And, some of us will need to accept lower wages because of lack of experience or the inability to acquire or maintain skill sets required for certain jobs.

Alas, I’ve come full circle. The scenarios I have described are, in reality, the scenarios which are currently being played out now. We have inequities. We have unequal access to specific jobs and specific skill sets. We are not equal. Nor, can we ever be completely equal in all respects.

So, those who still believe in that altruistic goal of creating equality for all… keep dreaming. Just understand that all that we can ever hope to achieve is equal opportunity, rather than absolute equality.