Two entries ago, back on September 16, I made the statement that in this current age many have adopted a religion of equality, and of human rights; that we have this new religion of Human Rights where, unlike Biblical Christianity, equality and inclusiveness are both virtues to embrace. Looking a little closer at this exaltation of equality, I can see at least two basic underlying cultural constructs which help foster it.

They are:
1. The notion that no one is better than anyone else - and being created equal means we ought to stay equal.
2. The notion that everyone is entitled - and that they are entitled equally.

These ideas may be rather fashionable at present but they present me with a few concerns. Equality has spawned a child called Mediocrity, and together they are the enemy of Excellence.

Once upon a time there was an interesting thing called a Bell Curve. It probably still exists somewhere in modern life, but there are places where I just don’t hear it ringing anymore. One such place is in education. No longer is it politically correct to have minorities either end of the curve, flunkies two or three stanines to the left, whiz kids way over to the right, and most of the rest of us forming the body of the bell. If we are to be consistent with the notion of equality, then the bell just has to go. Passing some and failing others is like saying that some are better than others. Same with giving some top grades and most only average grades. And in this country, you do not fail - you simply have not yet achieved. To help solve this little problem of inequality, we have seen a “dumbing down” so that the majority under the bell can be given top grades for being what they are - ordinary and average, mediocre. There is no encouragement for excellence, no responsibility for doing better, as mediocrity - the child of equality - will bring the same reward.

The idea of entitlement also undermines excellence. Human Rights are becoming legion. We are all entitled to rights, things that are to be ours based on the fact that we are able to breathe. It might be fun to list them, but my list would drop right off the end of the page, on to the floor, extend out the door and way down the street. Not only do we have all these rights based solely on nothing more than our ability to breathe, but everyone deserves the best to be given to them as well. What has this to do with the death of excellence? Being given things without working for them, striving for them, earning them, making sacrifices for them, makes excellence quite meaningless - it doesn’t mean anything as it is defunct, deposed by the little goddess, mediocrity.

However, sheer common sense tells me something else. It simply is not true that no one is better than anyone else. We all have differing talents, natural abilities, “smarts” if you like. Some are just smarter than others. Some are more motivated than others. Some work harder than others. However you look at it, we are simply not equal in our performance, and pretending that we are, worshipping this notion of equality and extolling the virtues of mediocrity, is cultural idolatry.

We are not entitled to equal shares. The rewarding of excellence must be encouraged to defeat this politically correct notion before we lose our inspiration, waste ourselves and all that is superlative.