Upward Mobility
Is a greater virtue than equality
Upward mobility is a greater virtue than equality because it encourages people to act on their aspirations and to achieve their dreams.
Meanwhile the idea of equality -- when taken literally by communists -- encourages people to beg politicians to use the levers of government to kneecap the wealthy.
Which is why politicians rarely talk about upward mobility.
It’s easier for politicians to pacify the masses by using government power than it is to get people to believe in upward mobility.
After all, the idea of upward mobility seems contrary to human nature.
Humans, for instance, are naturally less concerned with living their best life and moreso concerned with protecting what they already have.
This loss aversion has been a defining characteristic of humanity from the beginning.
And in the beginning this innate protectionism was necessary.
The human species, with its long childhoods that require substantial resources, came into the world especially vulnerable and always on the precipice of extinction.
After all humans are not as innately vicious as other flesh eating mammals.
Nor were they as numerous as the other various threats to human survival including bacteria, disease, and other animals vigorously competing for the right to life.
This fear of being under constant attack, then, makes the human tendency toward protectionism understandable.
But as we continue to develop and improve economically and politically we should be encouraged to abandon our protectist ways.
Because we’re not under the threat of constant danger, no matter what fear mongering politicians say.
Instead these politicians could, and should, inspire us to get more for ourselves by ourselves.
When we do, perhaps we can finally progress past the poverty of our once protectionist nature.
Zigmund Reichenbach has an M.A. in Philosophy from West Chester University and works as an advocate for less government. You can help him combat bad ideas in politics and philosophy by donating to his work at https://ko-fi.com/zigmundreichenbach .
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