 Bertrand Russell Quotes 366 |
People destitute of the arts of success have their rights, and it is difficult to say how they are to secure them when all those who possess these arts achieve success. There is no solution except to abandon the belief that competition is a means of securing justice.
Source: Bertrand Russell: Success and failure (written in Jan. 11, 1932 and pub. in Mortals and Others, v.1, 1975.
More info.:https://russell-j.com/JIYU-KYO.HTM
* Brief commnet: original text in Japanese, translated with Google translator
The government and society all praise ``free competition,'' saying in unison that ``everyone should be given equal opportunities'' and ``we should be given as many chances as we like.'' However, they differ in many ways, such as their innate ability (intelligence, artistic talent, muscular strength, athletic ability, etc.), beauty, ugliness, health status, genetic factors, whether they were born to wealthy or poor parents, etc. It's not that simple. Some people are born with physical and mental problems that prevent them from trying even if they want to. In many cases, excuses are added as necessary, such as "if the conditions are the same," but simply observing a person from the outside does not reveal whether the person has acquired the ability as a result of effort. I don't know if they don't have the ability to make it happen no matter how hard they try, or if they have mental and physical problems that prevent them from trying.
Russell was naturally talented, but he also had a warm eye for those who were not blessed with his abilities and were dismissed. There is a huge difference between the look in his eyes and that of a certain prime minister.