The tyranny of merit | Michael Sandel

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What accounts for our polarized public life, and how can we begin to heal it? Political philosopher Michael Sandel offers a surprising answer: those who have flourished need to look in the mirror. He explores how "meritocratic hubris" leads many to believe their success is their own doing and to look down on those who haven't made it, provoking resentment and inflaming the divide between "winners" and "losers" in the new economy. Hear why we need to reconsider the meaning of success and recognize the role of luck in order to create a less rancorous, more generous civic life.
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[@vikrambhandolkar]

The most kind hearted intellectual I have come across. I am not even a legal professional but I watched all his Harvard lecture series.

[@bhuvangoyal5271]

Saaaaaaame!! He's just soo good!!

[@itodoisrael9010]

Same. The lecture series on justice right?

[@vikrambhandolkar]

@@itodoisrael9010 yes

[@TeaParty1776]

>kind hearted The black mass of the Crucifixion as moral ideal, a viciously immoral attack on mans life as moral ideal.

[@brandonemerick6744]

It was a very heartfelt talk indeed!

[@yapper58]

I have a brother who is literally a rocket scientist. He has a PH.D. from Princeton. My father owned a small sawmill. My brother has nothing but contempt for manual labor and today still espouses the idea that the "smart people" (him) should decide how things should be done and the less educated should sit down and shut up, even though our father became quite wealthy and enjoyed physical labor (making things) his whole life. I started stacking lumber and driving a forklift when I was 14 years old. I still work in the lumber business as an inspector (even though I have my B.A. in Sociology), which is a physically intensive form of work for a 62 year old. My brother believes I am dirt poor (I am not) and incapable of any other work even though my I.Q. tested close to his in school and I ranked in the top 10% nationally in my class. He is convinced he is socially, morally, and intellectually superior to his family. I respect anyone on my crew who do the work that is required of them. It is hard work and I don't try to make it worse for them by demanding the dangerous or impossible.

[@andybaldman]

Your brother is a douche. And I know many people like him. They are afraid of real work.

[@onikin]

@@earthcitizen57 I do not think you were the most biased and misinformed in that conversation. But you handled it very well.

[@gregorjerman973]

Someday the Intellectuals will hire robot Ai as their equals and Hard working people will consider animals as their own equals.

[@selwynr]

Sounds like you're a natural socialist. My hat off to you.

[@The_Original_Hybrid]

Your brother is correct.

[@Vnifit]

This is one of the most fantastic TED talks I have seen in a long time. Dignity of work is at the center of each of our ego's and the suggestion that those who don't go to college are ill-fated to work at McDonalds is part of such considerable divison. The sentiment that working at McDonalds is inherently a bad thing strips those who work there of their dignity and consequently their purpose. Without a feeling of purpose and belonging, people cannot be cohesive and communities begin to fray. Not everyone can be doctors, engineers, and laywers. There is dignity in every job and we need to acknowledge and thank those who do the required work that helps us all.

[@charlesaway]

Absolutely. I very much agree with the concept that there should be dignity in every job; we as a society need to do a better 'job' of recognizing that. I also agree that there are jobs that serve an essential role in society, and people deserve respect and recognition for what they do. I think I diverge in the concept of remuneration for jobs based on their essential nature, however, because there are other factors to consider such as the skill specialization, education and training required to perform those duties. Access to that training and education should probably be expanded, but a doctor who requires 7 years of education and medical college or a master carpenter with extensive trade knowledge and experience can probably work at a grocery store, deliver food (some probably do!), or perform other 'essential' tasks, while the reverse is probably not true. Do people deserve a living wage in exchange for their effective contributions to society? Absolutely. However, their rates of pay should include multiple factors such as ease of performing the function, geographic cost of living factors, etc., in addition to determining whether they are essential. Regards.

[@beegood1215]

All full time jobs should be required to provide a living wage and medical and pension benefits. There are some qualities of socialism that make a society better. Too many jobs are temporary and not leading to anything permanent.

[@Vnifit]

​@Jorge Morando I don't think that was what Bee Good was saying. They were expressing that there are many qualities of socialism that really work alongside a capitalist society. Looking to Canada, Europe, and Scandinavia we can see that a combination of both works wonders for improving peoples lives. Through healthcare and welfare, to childcare and public schools, the attitude of socialism is of 'to care for thy neighbor'. There are no countries that do well long-term under pure capitalism, it is raw and vicious and puts people over profits. Socialism puts people above all, but lacks the ability to give motivation to progress society. A health mix of both is what makes a country great to live in, one that cares of people and provides them the motivation to give back.

[@moonmunster]

@@Vnifit perfect comment

[@Objectivityiskey]

"This is one of the most fantastic TED talks I have seen in a long time. Dignity of work is at the center of each of our ego's and the suggestion that those who don't go to college are ill-fated to work at McDonalds is part of such considerable divison." -------There's nothing wrong with getting your start at McDonalds. If you end up working there for a number of years and haven't moved into management, then something wrong. McDonalds is an entry level job or first job, not a head of household job. "The sentiment that working at McDonalds is inherently a bad thing strips those who work there of their dignity and consequently their purpose." --------It is bad if you haven't moved into management. "Without a feeling of purpose and belonging, people cannot be cohesive and communities begin to fray." --------This has nothing to do with working at McDonalds in an entry level position at 40 years old. McDonalds is a transitional job for adults and a starter job for the youth. "Not everyone can be doctors, engineers, and laywers." -------True, but adults shouldn't be making excuses for not acquiring a specialized skill set and moving out of an entry level job into an adult job. "There is dignity in every job and we need to acknowledge and thank those who do the required work that helps us all." ------This is true and false for the reasons I stated above. Every job is valuable, but it's the Individual and the time spent that modifies the Individuals dignity while doing the job.

[@ASLUHLUHCE]

This reminds me of Warren Buffett talking about how he was very lucky to be born at just the right time, in just the right place, and as a man with right skin colour, so that his skills and interests happened just what was right to make him fabulously wealthy and successful, and that if he lived thousands of years ago, he would've probably been eaten by a lion.

[@JuVe_546]

Everyone using Warren Buffet as some sort of spiritual leader is part of the problem

[@rogercamel]

@Michael Enquist It's a hypothetical and not meant to be taken too literally. It's not really meant to mean "what if I was someone else" but more like "what if I was switched at birth with someone in different circumstances" (even if a time machine is required). Yes you'd still grow up as essentially a different person, but you would likely retain some of your traits and you wouldn't be the same as the person you replaced. It's just a thought experiment to convey how much of your success you can attribute to yourself and how much to your circumstances. The dividing line between those two things of course can be a bit fuzzy. In the end it's an exercise in empathy. "Lucky" does have connotations because it has two meanings. In this case it's helpful to use the synonym "fortunate" which doesn't.

[@herisaputra1303]

Ĺ

[@wayando]

@@JuVe_546 Warren Buffet has won the current "game" ... So it's advisable to learn afew things from him. The alternative is to change the system, and that is alot, alot harder.

[@jameslasso1690]

Ya I’m sure if warren buffet had been born with more “swarthy “ complexion he would invested not so wisely.

[@overshot8331]

Dignity of Labour. Important to keep in mind.

[@Nelgia247]

@@user-is6ux3sj2t true, most labourers demand more than what they can offer.

[@karleells8603]

labour is worthless without structure and management.

[@livery955]

@@karleells8603 Same is true vice versa, except managers need laborers infinitely more than laborers need managers.

[@natashapang335]

I watch your video 12 years ago, that time are looking very young, now search you here. I feel how time flies

[@taylorkim2918]

Awesome clip. I'm having a moment of utter realisation. How lucky I am that I can just comfortably sit down on the chair and listen to his wise words

[@pelado9293]

I'm currently pooping

[@benjaminr8961]

He is far from wise. He is a dirty commie.

[@meghanbliss2356]

Wise? He is terribly misinformed and condescending

[@HonestlyHolistic]

​@@meghanbliss2356please explain

[@andrewthomas695]

@@meghanbliss2356 How so?

[@MaymunaSaeed]

professor Sandel has profoundly influenced me- the harvard lectures and the way the way he perceives things has left me in awe. massive respect for him. May he live a long, healthy life. it hurts to see him grow old :(

[@l.1273]

I too have been very affected by him. And yes, his body is aging, but he is only growing wiser. If we are fortunate, he will grow more respected which would indicate others recognize his wisdom and that recognition, when cumulative, may have an effect on social discourse and relations; toward the better.

[@abdirevandio1687]

Hearing this is like a fresh breeze flowing through my anxious heart

[@rigira]

@ASD How wasn’t he listening?

[@CyberPsyLen]

hearing this scares me... it's a cold wind blowing...

[@nescius2]

@ASD do you have more to say than this dismissive nothing?

[@nescius2]

Ronald Reagan.. look who's talking about stupid :D

[@nescius2]

@Ronald Reagan thanks for expanding your argument, it's ..less bad now (to me): by dumb, I think you mean impractical, but dumb doesn't mean that - you can be practical and dumb business owner.. or totally impractical, yet intelligent academic.. and he is talking about morality - being ought rather than is - i wonder how you can argue it being ignorant..

[@IbrahimKhan-sh2bg]

I am a business student but this gentlemen made me fall in love with political philosophy. It's hard to see him grow old.

[@aniksamiurrahman6365]

Congratulation. You just found some great PR material.

[@itodoisrael9010]

His series on justice

[@nahtan7925]

Very same

[@andrewthomas695]

Growing old is a good thing. Not everybody gets to. Don't feel bad for him. If you are lucky, you shall also get to grow old.

[@lucaslimal3]

I disagree with 90% of what this man says and still respect him deeply. Thank you mister Sandel, it is important that we talk about this.

[@jumpstart55million]

What do you disagree with?

[@lucaslimal3]

@@jumpstart55million I think his whole ideia on meritocracy is different from mine. I think meritocracy comes about what you did with what you got. He thinks, and that is his critique, that meritocracy is a score bar that all should surpass. Those who do not are loosers. I know many ppl who think like that. They think that if you do not have a car, or a house, or clothes and gadgets, you are a loser. I do not think this is what meritocracy is about. For me, if you are getting better in life you are exerting your merit. The ideia of finding merit as some kind of a tiranny is counter productive in my opinion. Because it is by looking to get better, by competing and try to do more with less that we, humans, innovate and come up with solution to varius problems. To deny that is to create what we are seeing more and more nowadays. Ppl taking things for granted, saying that government or a privileged group should supply for them. They will not, you must seek to improve through your actions.

@@lucaslimal3 Another thing everyone seems to ignore about merit is that it is not a universal measurement. Merit is given by someone to some other person for any particular activity or thing it values, someone that has been given merit in one activity do no nessesarily is meritocratical in another. These people attack the system rethorically or verbally but all the same apply meritocratic rules in their lives. People want things done in a "right" or "pleasant" way for them, theyll give merit to the ones providing that way they crave. I assume Mr Sandel works with people whose efficience in their jobs help him be better too. He hired them assigning merit to their cappability of doing that job.

[@Kashiku]

The background sounds of the birds embellishes everything

[@karleells8603]

Nothing from the left is songs and birds when you implement these ideas. everything falls apart

[@jezbelga9437]

I hope this man never dies lol; it's hard to see him getting old.

[@lt.columbo5919]

Professor Sandel is one of the most astute academics of our time...Although I have not met him...he has become a very significant mentor in my life...and has allowed me to experience Harvard, through his lecture series. Thank you, Sir.

[@chrisduplessis4501]

this guy is very sharp! he says all of this without looking at notes, amazing

[@pradeepkumarvishwakarma1624]

My all time favourite. I wanna meet him and take a bow.

[@kentmg79]

Circumstances at birth certainly play a roll, but I also have found that for myself, and for most people who do not inherit their wealth, the words of Samuel Goldwyn ring true: "The harder I work, the luckier I get."

[@christofthedead]

post hoc ergo propter hoc nice fallacy bro

[@deeb3272]

Been watching old videos of Prof.Sandel earlier and wished there is a new one. My thoughts came true! Thanks Ted!

[@1elt]

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@homesweet9537]

hello wtf!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)))))(((((((((((((((:

[@jyang9852]

Same here! Wish for more books and videos from Professor Sandel!

[@someshbaidya907]

So if you are successful you are lucky, if you are unsuccessful you'r unlucky - that's an extreme point of view, to say the least.

[@sari-sari]

Indeed! Humanity rules.There is nothing wrong with earning a bachelor's, masters or doctorate and the like. "Never look down on anybody unless you are helping them up." by Jesse Jackson. We live borrowed lives.

[@10sno27]

Incredibly moving and healing. The talk on Sam Harris’ podcast also excellent.

[@benjaminr8961]

Its toxic crap.

[@melaniaoc]

I think it is v dangerous to blame "merit" in general. We do not want to encourage lack of merit, but instead we need to re-educate ourselves about what merit really is.

[@ronaldreagan-ik6hz]

Yes. Liberals love to sell victimhood

[@badmaevictor]

If there is no free will, this is all quite understandable

[@RextheRebel]

There is no free will.

[@GreedApe]

As with all things, moderation is key. Thinking that everything you own and are is the result of your own merits and nothing else is a mistake. Believing that everyone who made it big is the result of the talents they were born with and luck is a mistake too. People who were very blessed with their upbringing and physical condition will oftentimes lean towards the former, while those who had a rough start to life will lean towards the latter. Both extremes dont solve any problems, but generate a fair share of them in their own way.

[@DegreesOfThree]

If you think there's some kind of injustice going on, then you can spend your own money to rectify it. Otherwise, you have no right to interfere in the labor market between an employee that wants a job and an employer that has a job to give.

[@selwynr]

No, in some things moderation is not key. Moderate fascism, anybody?

[@codacreator6162]

Talent and luck? No. Opportunity is only as good as one’s ability AND desire to take advantage of it - both of which are heavily impacted by circumstances. What passes me off is the lack of acknowledgment by the meritocracy of their good fortune coupled with their quick and destructive tendency to blame. Failure is a many-faceted demon. But the consequences of failure need not include destitution, the sacrifice of dignity, or shame. Period. But that’s how we’re set up right now. Moderation has nothing to do with it. The common good has been supplanted by Me First.

[@adamkumpmusic]

This comment reminds me a lot of some of the main premises of the book “the psychology of money.” Great point and I totally agree with you.

[@rickguerrero2282]

That was a great video. I just started reading “The Meritocracy Trap”, and this video sums it up very well.

[@rickguerrero2282]

@Ronald Reagan Have you read the book?

[@rickguerrero2282]

@Ronald Reagan for starters, the dude who made the video did NOT write “The Meritocracy Trap”.

[@davruck1]

@Ronald Reagan so LeBron James is superior to you? Good to know. You’ve finally admitted your inferiority.

[@karleells8603]

Hmmm lets think. you dont want meritocracy so i wonder if you would want a doctor working on you only because he had to be one of the "diversity hires" rather than on his merit? Yeah. this ideology falls apart under the most basic tests in the real world.

[@rickguerrero2282]

Unfortunately, that is not the point of the book, “The Tyranny of Merit”.

[@FedericoLov]

Every Sandel video is a pearl of wisdom. I wish he made more

[@ThePariskat]

I've only just discovered him this week after the article 'The Politics of Pretension'. I'm going to read The Meritocracy Trap. (And yes there is something really soothing about him!).

[@DarkMoonDroid]

Bless you, Sir! So glad DAVOS listened to you! What a surprise that was!!

[@loungejay8555]

I listened to this from start to finish, and my god, it was like a punch in the face. Total wake up call.

[@evolvedcopper2205]

I was quite misled by the applause at the beginning thinking it was a talk given to a crowd. Starting to miss those

[@tgkprog]

A new ted every other day is good. Equality is important, but isnt success a mix, that is always there. Its always a mix of capability, chance and whether you actually try...

[@iincisif8599]

it's a matter of chance, success is a matter of chance.

[@cla99009]

Anybody who's actually studied it knows that success (at least in the Western Capitalist sense) is more a function of effort and perseverance than of talent and luck.

[@ettorefagioli1012]

If you're interested go check out the last Veritasium Video on this topic. this could clarify many things! Have a good day

[@prashantkumarkapadia1536]

Extremely thanks for compelling me to thinks the other aspects for life.

[@unsorted1138]

I re-watch this video several times a year. It's a great summary of his excellent book.

[@Dhtdhrtv]

I barely watch TED. But this is really recommendable. I could see more than 95% of similarity between Sandell's idea and mine and this very close similarity makes me feel sure and proud of myself.

[@nescius2]

I think that the above argument is garbage, nothing personal: there is just no argument.

[@itsdrunkshadow]

@@user-is6ux3sj2t "if you don't like it, leave" logic does not make the situation any better - it's only a radical nationalism approach imo. If one is truly considerate and thoughtful of the society then one should find means of making it better and fair. You said, money does not define personal worth and it's true - but we're talking about relativity. Relative poverty leads to sense of deprivation and confusion of social order, even if someone may not have trouble sustaining basic life. It's not just about money and jealousy, it's more about not being able to earn for what one did, which means that not 'everyone got what they deserved'. Your opinion is what could be justified in terms of bad utilitarianism, which many people including rawls has criticised, since it's just unfair. The lower class won't accept the fact that the rich owns 99 percent of the wealth for sure - that's what this man is talking about. The problem of meritocracy that justifies inequality (caused by luck, family background, etc). If our society was a caste system then yours would make sense; such jealousy should not happen, because they're destined to be poor, and the rich be rich. But the modern society isn't. It is ran by an ideology that everyone is born same and the chances are the same, even though it's virtually not. Being poor attributes to the poor. And they are upset, since they did not get what they deserved. Sandel does not directly argues socialism nor redistribution either. He is suggesting that we seek means of getting people what they deserve; making justice. The left, the democrats that you may hate are rather quite criticised in his book, the tyranny of merit.

[@andfoundout]

@@nescius2 How can you not see from the pandemic that "essential workers" ARE actually the most essential workers in society, everything else relies on them, so they deserve a living wage.

[@nescius2]

@@andfoundout ...how are you able to read what i wrote and then respond with that? .. have you even read it?

[@andfoundout]

@@ronaldreagan3086 So your family only loves you because you work and make money? You only want your friends to be alive because they have jobs? You only love your kids because they will, one day, work? Your value is totally defined by what you do for a living? Having some professions be paid more than others to reflect the value of *highly* skilled work makes sense. But how can you possibly justify not paying people enough to live on, even though they work full time hours? There's demand, the demand is being met, but you don't want them to be able to live, even though they're working full time.

[@CJusticeHappen21]

The dog at the front of the pack forgets that he's not the only one pulling a sled.

[@duodot]

Huh, that's an apt metaphor.

[@richardb7854]

but who is at the front of the pack? the CEO or the manual workers? both consider themselves essential to the business functioning and know little to nothing about the work done by the other 🤷‍♂️ it's very apt metaphor, but can apply in so many different ways as to be equally vague and confusing.

[@CJusticeHappen21]

@@richardb7854 You forget, or perhaps you don't know...the dogs are pulling a sled. A sled is put there by a driver, who rides the sled while the dogs do the pulling. The front dog might have more power than the dogs behind it, but it's still a dog pulling it's Master. The dogs starring at the hindquarters of the dog in front of them often forget the man behind them, the one who rations the food and the one who cracks the whip.

[@DegreesOfThree]

Is it the dog that gets the sled from point A to B, or is it the brain of the man steering?

[@CJusticeHappen21]

@@DegreesOfThree Both. The man goes nowhere without the dogs, and the dogs go everywhere without the man.

[@Constantin678]

I admire even looking at him. So thoughtful sincere and frank

[@linlicui4438]

Me too, I’m glad to listen to him

[@Constantin678]

@Ronald Reagan I don’t agree with everything , I guess there is no single point of view to everything

[@Constantin678]

@Ronald Reagan I guess we shouldn’t just judge one’s opinion. We may agree or disagree, partly, partly I agree, if I haven’t got enough finance to go to Harvard, I will certainly miss something

[@karleells8603]

Too bad his ideas are built on false assumptions and misguided statistics.

[@morganalo5100]

Bravo three times over! I watched this TED talks 5 times and I think I may watch it again and again! What he said is the truth at all!

[@continuouslylearning6152]

Maybe if you watch it 5 more times you'll be sufficiently brainwashed

[@shashwatsharma2596]

One thing to remember, If you win, remember the role of luck and good fortune If you lose, work harder(do what you can with what you have)

[@joanam3070]

And never forget that you could have been one of those who are "less fortunate" (this is the right term I think), so give a hand, even a small help is enough. We all need our good samaritan. Those that are successful also needed it.

[@jake_runs_the_world]

hahah baman you still gonna cry "merit" and focus on reservations rather than caste discrimination

[@shashwatsharma2596]

@@jake_runs_the_world What?

[@littlesometin]

If you lose, look for the reason you lost and if there is one, organize with other people who are losing to change the rules for a fair game.

[@chrisstory5328]

Work is no more dignified than the end to which one works. If you can't win with ease and grace, consider playing a game better suited to your proclivities.

[@kandice458]

watching your Harvard series and you're becoming one of my favorite people in this planet.

[@soumyavijayannp1964]

😸😸 yess.. He is my favourite too..

[@benjaminr8961]

Right up there with Stalin and Mao?

[@itouchtheskyslowlifeitaly]

I love this talk. Thank you so much for talking about this topic.

[@iqraa4u951]

I hope there us more material of this kind to raise the awareness of the people about it

[@h497554725]

Harvard Justice lecture brings me here

[@bwritest]

Same

[@mieloper1942]

Difference between the intelligent and the wise

[@aylbdrmadison1051]

Being intelligent just means someone has a good memory, nothing more.

[@Chiungalla79]

@@aylbdrmadison1051 It's also the ability to think faster, more diverse and deeper. Sadly, without proper education, it in no way guarantees less errors in thinking.

[@billlong9313]

@@aylbdrmadison1051 One's intelligence is their capacity to use what they learn to deal effectively with new situations. With practice, just about anyone can develop and extend this capacity. WIsdom has more to do with having exceptionally prudent judgment.

[@DaveE99]

Aylbdr Madison they are good at complex processing, but I wouldn’t say it means they are more right in many areas of life.

[@Objectivityiskey]

Michale Sandel is neither. He's a Collectivist fool.

[@ShikiraPressley]

What a man and what a brilliant ethical conscience that should be taught in schools/colleges world-wide over. What is most remarkable about Sandel is that he "subscribes to a certain version of communitarianism (although he is uncomfortable with the label), and in this vein he is perhaps best known for his critique of John Rawls's A Theory of Justice. Rawls's argument depends on the assumption of the veil of ignorance, which Sandel argues commits Rawls to a view of people as "unencumbered selves". His opinions are 100% accurate and absoloutely defy the soci-economic, political and moral stance that so many wealthy people detatch themselves from the very reality they selfishly indulge in a fantastical self-appointed universe. 👍👏👍👏👍👏

[@jworthe]

Everyone talks about the importance of a college degree, yet almost no one mentions that not a degrees will provide opportunities. Universities are happy to take the money of those following their dreams. But don't expect there to be high demand in your dream field.

[@continuouslylearning6152]

College graduates come out with this sense if entitlement like because they went to college they're owed something.

[@jannmikoingelrabagogamingc6012]

OMG! I can't believe this amazing professor is still alive after watching his "Justice: What's the Right Thing To Do" Harvard lecture series years ago, really! I am ever so gladful that we still have him alive~

[@DiogoVKersting]

There's a great book on the matter called The Case Against Education (Caplan). The argument is that the reason so many low-skill jobs are requiring college, is due to a something called Credential Inflation. Diplomas are mostly about "signaling", and not really about what you actually learn in University (Courses like Engineering, which have "real" value by the work market for the learned material are the exception, not the rule). Education is already extremely wasteful due to extreme interventions of government on the Education market (such as loans which would never exist in a free market).

[@duodot]

Hmm, true. So you're saying education has become more like a filter, a currency needed to get a job, because "everyone" is getting it?

[@DiogoVKersting]

​@@duodot I think it'd be better if you looked at the information directly from the source (Bryan Caplan), as he can explain better than I can. But basically if all you're doing is "signaling" that you score high in intelligence, conscientiousness and conformity to a potential employer, the actual number of years studied doesn't really matter, as long as most of your peers also study for a similar period. Without "virtually free" loans, the pricing system would incentive people to have less credentials in number of years. As a hypothetical example, imagine the number of people graduating from uni each year is way down... Someone hiring a waiter would look for good high school grades, and not demand a university degree. And those that do graduate will be more likely to actually work in the field he studied. People are still going to find ways of "signaling", but those are going to be way less resource-intensive (i.e. wasteful). The title The Case Against Education, implies that we could have very similar, if not identical worker productivity even if we made enormous cuts in government spending/subsidies in education. In fact, due to the reduction of resources "wasted" in education, one could argue society would end MORE productive.

[@duodot]

@@DiogoVKersting Mm, right. I guess the employers can afford to be picky when the whole pool is overqualified. That being said, I don't think cutting spending on education is the answer, although I see your point. More efficient use of the allocated funds, sure, but that's just a result of the school existing mainly to create a mass of mediocrity and not support the bright and gifted. But the complexity of the education required to function in today's society is surely greater than it was 50 years ago, so thus the increased education kinda makes sense. But still. Not everyone needs, or rather benefits from, higher education. I'll check out your source, thank you.

[@1elt]

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@DiogoVKersting]

@@duodot Yeah, that's exactly it. The worst part is that if employers are not "picky" (i.e. selecting the best "signalers" they can afford), there's a good chance they'll end up with employees with lower average "productivity". That said, I wonder if at some point, being too overqualified might start to negatively affect motivation and therefore productivity.

[@Gaooo16]

I really love who he quotes and bringing it full circle.

[@bravelace]

I love Michael Sandel. His class on ethics is off the hook!

[@kirstinstrand6292]

Sandel is a Rare human.

[@mileskeller5244]

Professor sandel is my favorite contemporary philosopher. This is such a heartfelt plee for us as a society to have intelligent socratic debate so as to make progressive changes. Beautifully worded professor.

[@continuouslylearning6152]

What a bunch of rhetorical nonsense

[@mileskeller5244]

@@continuouslylearning6152 what part of that do you disagree with?

[@Jay-xh9dl]

@@continuouslylearning6152 Pray tell.

[@ronaldreagan-ik6hz]

Nothing progressive is working in the USA. We need the 100% opposite of progressive policies to help everyone

[@srajagopal39]

The change that is needed is the change in attitude of the people and nothing to do with meritocracy.

[@claritamerlos3769]

Great !! You Sir Is the best teacher for new generation thankyou .. God bless you and God bless USA 🇺🇸😇😎♥️

[@gaberouse3351]

This is extremely important right now.

[@SuperAtheist]

Earnings are not the same as winnings .

[@karleells8603]

Earnings are worth more than the redistribution of earnings. Sandel is an idiot.

[@user-ov3vx9fg2w]

I'm a Korean student who studies philosophy in high school. I'm very fascinated by professor Sandel's philosophy. I think he is the most prominent political-philosopher in the world.

[@thealtruistmc5020]

i wish i had philosophy classes at my school.

[@user-ov3vx9fg2w]

@@thealtruistmc5020 But in Korean school, I can't learn philosophy properly. Because Korean Edu enforces answers that they want. I can't get a good score if I don't give them the answers they want, regardless of my opinion.

[@Bisquick]

Kaaaaaaaaaaaant. Have you read Marx? Purely philosophically, he's pretty great (dialectical materialism in particular). Also check out Slavoj Zizek if you haven't already.

[@user-ov3vx9fg2w]

@@Bisquick Yes, I'm learning Marx at the social ideology part. He is absolutely genius. (But, in Korea we don't learn Marx heavily cause he is communist) +Thanks for recommending Slavoj Zizek.

[@abhifootball2671]

Man just an unemployed passout from India. I don't know how we will change this meritocracy and how we will bring the most important value that we are lacking in our current fast paced world of humility, but I can confirm to the fact that his Justice series of Harvard was equal to my enlightening. It is like knowing the secrets of everything that is happening around us. I hope whoever reads this, watch those 10_12 videos. That's the most important thing that has happened in my life

[@THE1stBRAINinTOWN]

Very important message for americans. Some european countries already have a similar culture to what is described as necessary in the video, and it does work out well for them.

[@continuouslylearning6152]

You current way of life WILL fail within 10-15 years. I promise you.

[@guidoghirardi2985]

Powerful analysis. Merit is for sure a major factor and one should be proud of success, BUT using it as an excuse to just don't take into account the other factors and look down on people who have their struggles in life is for sure one of the roots of today's political conflict. Many people feel unheard and discarded... this whole myth that the poor are simply "lazy" is so low resolution that really makes you wonder if the upper class super-achievers actually dont want to deal with some uncomfortable truths.

[@Dean_Beezer]

Absolutely profound on every level!!!

[@sakshamdangi9410]

3:33 Dr Sandel There is a particular reason why we say that change is the only constant. It is necessary for every human to upgrade within time. For instance: In India, about 50-60 yrs ago, Stenography or short hand writing was in wide demand. Most people who are in their 70s and 80s in have taken a course it. However, one does not need them now owing to presence of voice recorders now even present in a smartphone. Hence I would like know the reason behind why upgrading within time is being villainized by you. Thank you

[@mattblack8225]

Just found out about this guy through a university assignment and wow! Its great to hear an academic reminding us of the importance of simple human decency at times like these! brilliant.

[@continuouslylearning6152]

you university students and your idiotic ideas of what "simple human decency" is and thinking everything offensive is "hate speech"

[@MoMo-iz4gn]

Korean medical school students should watch this.

[@sungryongpark]

Sure. Meritocratic doctors in south korea are insisting that they would not attend national doctor examination if government doesn’t go back form the policy to enlarge quantity of doctors. They are meritocratic group dangerous for patients to give their body to them to be cured. It’s really shameful.

[@yoshi9358]

@@sungryongpark Isnt more trained doctors better for everyone ? Except maybe other doctors

[@Suanlal_Zou]

Reminds me of Gladwell's Outlier and David Brooks.

[@densiooo]

Very nice talk. Thank you for the reminder to be humble and appreciative of our good luck.

[@yesimkhanh9932]

@Ronald Reagan could you please elaborate your statement, I couldn't get what you meant

[@franciscojavierhernandezp1685]

The main issue of this statement refers that the salary is not defined by the importance of your job, rather it is unfortunately defined by the law of offer and demand (a basic economical rule that has defined all societies during the entire human history). Therefore, there are no chances to change this distribution only by a philosophical public decision or wish, in special when resources are scarce (despite that we agree that these good wishes sound fair, but they are unfortunately unpractical). That is, there will be always someone that will be able to do the same job by a lower salary when you talk about of a not qualified job that is well paid, i.e., a job that you don't need great skills, therefore, anyone can do it (if you increase the salary you will have a massive demand for that position). In contrast, if you have a company and you decide to duplicate salaries, it is very likely that your company will be not profitable with time and your company will be disappeared with time because of the natural market competition. Unfortunately, the rule that defines the economy does not match with social wishes. We still live in a society that resources are scarce, therefore, the salary is basically defined as the minimum payment that someone will afford to pay you by your services and skills. For example, if humans invent a robot that can cure people better than doctors, there will not demand to pay for human medical treatments. How can you change social behavior just with good wishes?. Everyone agrees that everyone should get a better salary, but the reasonable question is How can you do it?. I agree that the world is absolutely unfair for most people and there is a lot of injustices about wealthy distribution and opportunities. I agree that only a small percentage of the population has real opportunities in life, however, we are in an age of the history that people have more opportunities than in the entire history of humanity. Noting that people that live in developing countries have still lower chances that someone that lives in the USA. How are you going to balance it (with good wishes?). The solution is not only to point the problem out.

[@calebnewton_]

Another thing about the system we see around us is taking risk into account. The more risk you take on personally the more you will be profitable if the venture is profitable. That's part of how we reward success in a meritocratic free market.

[@bellablackmist5033]

Well, such a thing could be effected by attitude actually. At least to a point. With the current political climate it's highly unlikely, but a combination of laws that prioritize locally found employment, material sourcing, ECT, and a public attitude that prioritizes the fact that the whole point of working to afford one's life and not necessarily to contribute to their employer (how the american economy is designed to work), not to mention enforcing anti monopolistic law, we could, in theory, solve this issue to a satisfactory extent. I however believe our commerce and our government have become too intertwined for that (via the iron triangle and whatnot) to work well now, since the iron triangle kind of cuts public interest out of the picture. I however think this ted talk was more about being kind to each other than actually fixing a physical imbalance in our system, though I'd prefer to talk about how to solve things much more. 😅

[@Wojtecher]

The answer is legislation, and In a democratic society public opinion equals law. Yes, if allowed to do so, purely profit oriented businesses will trend towards the lowest wages possible, but they don't need to be allowed to do so. The ideal form of government is not capitalism, shown by the lack of any successful capitalist economies unless you use extremely loose definitions.

[@WillOfTheWeb]

You're logic is basically saying 'Well that's the way it works and always has worked'. The problem is that the entire system is broken from top to bottom.

[@ivanandreevich8568]

Learn some economics.

[@AndroidCovenant]

Hey I saw him on Rising!!

[@bbt305]

Best Ted talk in a long long time! Def of the year! Important, but simple, concise and to the point!

[@bluesque9687]

Michael Sandel, I feel enlightened listening to you, learning from your talks and lectures, and I sometimes wonder, how did such a distinguished professor at an elite university develop such a generous spirit!! Your wisdom ranks way higher than us!! Is it wisdom, or is it your blessed innate character?

[@Gwyndolinn]

Oh my god. I have been soooooo frustrated as someone who has been part of Honor's Programs throughout his life for this VERY REASON. The people that I met in these programs thought they were actually better human beings than those who were not. And it was frankly disgusting! The horrible things they said and did out of that hubris are not even worth mentioning. And that tyranny took a sharp real turn when i fell out of the Honor's Program due to dealing with the constant barrage of homophobia I fielded, day in and day out, in school. They turned their words against me and said the most cruel and horrible things about me simply because I was different. They were threatened by that difference, and they let me know it EVERY SINGLE DAY. And I nearly took my life for it. Fortunately, I survived it. But the sad thing, is many do not. Some of us cave from all that pressure, many times because its not the only we're dealing with on our plate. And its been amazing what I've been able to accomplish with the help of some amazing allies in college. This trauma left me disabled and yet today, here I stand, with the help of so many others who continued to believe in me when I had stopped believing in myself. And I'm about to graduate from an English Lit Honors Program at my school. And then I intend to pursue a Masters in some sort of therapeutic work so that I can help people who struggle like I did and help them become the best versions of themselves with all the support I can give and create for them to make their dreams come true.

[@lilithmotherofmonsters6055]

Glad to hear you made it through that dark time, and best of luck in your goal of helping others do so

[@aylbdrmadison1051]

Things can get better when we work as a team. Hang in there, the world needs more people like you. ^-^

[@jliller]

"The people that I met in these programs thought they were actually better human beings than those who were not." They should be, although not necessarily are. The bigger problem is not one of superiority, but is done with that superiority. The Spiderman movies were spot on: with great power comes great responsibility. Unfortunately, most people who think themselves superior do little or nothing with that supposed superiority to make a better world, and often demean those whom they see as inferior.

[@Shazistic]

Every Heart Has A Pain .. Only The Way Of Expression Is Different .. Some Hide It In Eyes While Some Hide In Their Smile. -The Shades

[@lichtloper]

"All labour has dignity" Finally - here's someone who aknowledges this truth! I'm reading just now mr Sandels fascinating book aboutr meritocracy. Very enlightening. PeterK [NL - EU]

[@vaiguru09]

Beautiful and remembering the podcast with him by Sam harris on the topic

[@vvlist]

Thank you Michael. The world needed your talk.

[@brennanwn]

I KNOW great advice

[@1elt]

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@DTwoHS]

The downvotes are people who wrongly assumed what the talk would be about after 1 minute, peaced out, and missed a great talk.

[@Objectivityiskey]

I heard his lecture and it's full of fallacies and just blain bone head none reasoning. Kinda what I would expect of a Collectivist.

[@nescius2]

@@Objectivityiskey you are full of fallacies.

[@johnrutledge3892]

Outstanding ! , and by the way , I am not with out merit by way of luck or work as I perceive, and also a few others than myself. Damn the rest , though I will listen to them ardently.

[@moeadel75]

Amazing! Thank you, sir!

[@jimmyliu4614]

Thanks Michael. We need trust, more than ever.

[@J0hnBr0wnsB0dy]

For anyone who is interested in learning more about this concept, read The Meritocracy Myth by Stephen J. McNamee. I read and studied this for a Sociology course and it was fascinating.

[@zaru1503]

Dont use it for real life, its the same in my country, they teach it in school so they can have more depended people, till you destroy society like Cuba, Venezuela, Argentina, etc.

[@J0hnBr0wnsB0dy]

@@zaru1503 you're not my real mom

[@brennanwn]

Will do 😎

[@J0hnBr0wnsB0dy]

@Max Johnson ok

[@J0hnBr0wnsB0dy]

@Max Johnson ok

[@johnconnors4508]

Great topic and great speaker on the subject! Thank you this video!

[@nataliemeenakshithegreat7780]

I just love this great man I followed on justice harvard org great speech on what is right to do he is awesome

[@nataliemeenakshithegreat7780]

@Ronald Reagan Ronald it is your opinion

[@andreadaerice]

Excellent, thank you so very much! Everyone in the U.S. needs this reality check.

[@contrafax]

A four year degree is no longer a guarantee of success. It is about as good as a highschool diploma, with debt.

[@Chiungalla79]

The opposite would even be more horrible. Their are many graduates who more or less succeeded at college or university because of qualities that would not help any companie that hire them. 🤷‍♂️ Not every college graduate is a smart cookie. What really helps is if you have a growth mentality. If you recognice after college that you lack certain skills, some will be disappointed and give up... and others will roll up their sleeves until they succeed.

[@beegood1215]

Success is not just about money, it's about the mark you make in this world. What do you want as your epitaph? He didn't earn enough money? How to help, to be a good friend, how to guide someone to succeed both financially and in relationships. To me that is what success is.

[@Chiungalla79]

@Chris Taylor 1.) You have no real socialists in US-politics. 2.) Many countries where the right wing politicians are more socialist than your left wing politicians are outperforming the US economics (on a per capita basis). 3.) Everybody with a degree getting a carreer would be an ultra socialist idea.

[@Chiungalla79]

@Chris Taylor You have no idea how to even comprehend the wisdom. 😉

[@veranochick]

@Chris Taylor 🤣 Steve Jiobs didn't graduate from college

[@renzcruzmabalatan2225]

thank you for making me realized how entitled and privileged i am acting, God bless Sir, more wisdom to impart please if you may.

[@osks]

A truly brilliant exposition!

[@whatsdoin2392]

The dark side of the "Common Good" is the free-loader!

[@nammoo89]

Tragedy of the commons!

[@vidhiagrawal3]

A moral perspective into work and labour. Great!!

[@karleells8603]

work is based on merit, not morality. OH my god.

[@mediatorjawad]

A lot of what Sandel talks applies so much to India.

[@klajdihoxha9784]

Inspiring! Thank you for bringing awareness!

[@edmond4005]

This talk is great.

[@1elt]

as his others talks..

[@leonardu6094]

Economists and Philosophers that love critiquing the idea of meritocracy without addressing the problem of Genetics and just how much of a role they play in our lives, are really doing their audience a disservice.

[@Objectivityiskey]

If you have no clue about reality and are very naive.

[@nescius2]

@@leonardu6094 do you really have an argument or just pulling your shirt? do you really want to argue for inferiority of people based on genetics? i hope you have a *very good evidence..* is what you call yourself only your genes?

[@leonardu6094]

@@nescius2 "do you really want to argue for inferiority of people based on genetics?" "is what you call yourself only your genes?" Lmao leftists really are a delusional bunch. Homeboy really just misconstrued my statement. No response. Go get some coffee bro and take a break from the internet.

[@mauricioleonardo5871]

Fantastic view, chance my mind on the matter.

[@remyllebeau77]

Why would you be swayed by lies and empty rhetoric? Not everyone is willing to work the same, not everyone has the same skill and mental abilities. These are facts of life.

[@jimgraham6722]

Its also important to bring back those industries that train and develop their workers, enabling them to gain good enterprise and life skills whether through apprenticeships or less structured on the job training.

[@catsymousie7611]

What a beautiful thought!

[@alexbingham8222]

Sandel claimed that workers such as sanitation workers ought to be paid more because they are equally as important as a doctor or a ceo but the reason those positions get paid more is bc there are less ppl that r capable of working those professions. It’s supply and demand.

[@INoticeTooMuch1]

“Capable of working those professions” Exactly.

[@sabrinaduarte6018]

Sensacional!!!!

[@dsclips900]

Thank you so much my beloved Michael. This is a very necessary work in our times. The ideas that you present are not empathetic or empathy driven in a sense as might be understood, but rather philosophically driven, or I would say philosophically necessary given the flawed principles. What I want to say, is that "Being in others's shoes" is not a form of empathy, but rather a philosophical position that is necessary thus being true (I don't have to discuss the fact value dichotomy here). I am going to read the book, and I am very excited about it.

[@YodadeCai]

¡Gracias por los subtítulos en español!

[@chankrisnachea7083]

How I miss the auditorium setting. I think it would reinforce and clarify his message better with some presentation slide in the back as he makes these points. I watched his Harvard course on Justice. It was exemplary. He could’ve also mentioned Rawls’s veil of ignorance here.

[@TheLastWanderingBard]

True meritocracy is not a tyranny. It's a fair chance for everybody to contribute. Those who have an issue with it are either those who believe that one group of people is not as capable of contributing as another when given a fair chance (in which case, who's the tyrant now?), or those who just don't want to contribute yet want to be given whatever they desire. Any other talking points one would muster against a meritocracy is simply trying to posit that a real meritocracy does not exist, and that is intrinsically a flaw of the ideology, in which case I would levy the exact same criticism against socialism. How many times have we seen socialism and communism not only fail, but lead to some of the worst human rights atrocities across the globe? And yet you get people still swearing by it by saying things like "well they didn't employ our particular brand, which will totally work". In which case, ditto for meritocracy. Also, as an additional comment, I'd like to say I don't appreciate Ted becoming so overtly political over the last year. I haven't paid much attention to them in my sub feed, but given that I am A) not American; B) not living in America; and C) fairly politically disengaged/independent, I don't see the value in staying subbed to a channel that seems to be little more than a political reactionary to whatever is happening in the States right now. I can't even remember the last time I found a Ted video to actually be genuine, so I look forward to not seeing them clog my subscriptions hereafter.

[@Mike__G]

I started out with a part-time job as a janitor and a crappy apartment and a kid on the way. I got a crap job in tech and took course after course for over ten years. I still don’t have a degree, but I was kicking butt because I gained marketable skills and I worked my butt off. My work day was often 16 hours while others had a lot of leisure and fun. Lots of people opposed and oppressed me along the way and put me down. I was always too stupid to know when to quit. So I succeeded. Merit is everything. Tyranny is anything but.

[@Mike__G]

@karrie36 Working hard and smart with persistence is a cliche? Expecting the world to hand everything to you is the way to go? How naive and ignorant can you get?

[@Mike__G]

@Andreas Becker That was what was implied.

[@cherenabayting3119]

i love you.....GOD BLESS YOU.

[@SableTalks]

This warmed my heart. I put so much of my worth on the diploma I’m currently earning while working full time. I’m proud of those who work with or without degrees and of everyone who benefits our society.