Incompetent Rich People Often Get Ahead
New studies show that having the right background is more of an advantage than actually being smart and capable
We have a myth in America that those with wealth and power have always earned them through their hard work and diligence. In a social hierarchy, we tend to look up towards those at the top of the pyramid, believing that it is largely merit that has landed them there. But several new studies show that this is far from the truth.
People who come from wealth and privilege tend to have a high degree of confidence, and indeed, are often over-confident about their skills and abilities. They may have learned at an early age how to navigate social settings that include other people of high rank and position. If you rubbed elbows at the country club as a child with judges, CEOs, and generals, and then went on to a prominent school, chances are that you have internalized a sense of belonging in the upper echelons of power and prestige. This, in turn, leads to a more likely chance that you’ll be given the opportunity to stay there, which keeps the social hierarchy in place.
Our culture in the US, as in many developed nations, is built around a social hierarchy that is pyramid-shaped. A few elites hold the spots at the apex and everyone else jousts for spots on the rungs beneath them. This is the full meaning of the term…
