No single definition of success

The Straits Times; Published on Sep 20, 2011
No single definition of success
MRS NURHIDAYAH Hassan-Le Neel offered a superficial analogy by comparing two children of differing backgrounds and assuming rhetorically who would be more successful ("Address the problems of meritocracy"; Sept 10).

First, there is no single definition of success. But for the purpose of discussion, we may limit it to comparing incomes.
Child A's parents earned $1,000 a month. Child B's parents earned $10,000 month. If Child A ended up earning $9,000 and Child B $12,000, is meritocracy a failure? A's family has made tremendous advancement while B only made marginal progress, even though B supposedly had more advantage. Ceteris paribus (Latin for "all things being equal"), the gap will narrow over time under meritocracy into insignificance.
Second, and more importantly, the differences listed by the writer are not decisive factors for success. If Child A has the ambition and strives for it, he may advance even further and earn perhaps $100,000 a month. What we need to recognise though is that if Child B is as determined, there is no reason why he cannot also achieve the same target if that is also within his capabilities.
Adversity breeds resilience; lack of options forces one to be more resourceful. We should not presume that a person from a humble background is necessarily disadvantaged in life.
Meritocracy allows a person to realise his potential and pursue his own ambitions - that is more significant than whether Child A will end up earning more than Child B.
It is not an impersonal meritocracy but people who choose to brand the person earning less as a failure or reject. But that is only the view of the mediocre. Most successful people know personally the experience of failing. If we let others discourage us, we do not deserve to succeed.
Chen Junyi
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