This Is What Inequality Looks Like

12th Jul 2021

I was bullied before.

Why is this relevant? Because for a long time, my disdain for them was one of my main motivations to study harder. I wanted to climb out of my "neighbourhood" secondary school, go to a good junior college, and finally to a good university.

For a long time, I felt that I deserved to be where I am and that the poor, the uneducated, only have themselves to blame for being lazy, for not wanting to work harder.

This book has since humbled me.

I had forgotten that I grew up in a relatively stable family. Although we weren't rich, we didn't struggle financially. My parents did not pressure me to study harder, unlike other helicopter parents.

I had also forgotten that I was naturally good at subjects like mathematics and science, which are still largely valued by academic institutions and in today's job market.

If I could express achievements as an equation, it would probably look something like this:

$$Achievements = Effort * Environment * Abilities$$

Out of the 3 factors above, there is only 1 that I was really in control of, my efforts. I was fortunately blessed with a good environment and some inclinations towards maths and science. The same can't be said for everyone else.

The problem of viewing our achievements as our own

We are fed this narrative that everyone is given the same opportunity to fairly participate in our educational system, that upward social mobility is possible for all, that those at the bottom can only blame themselves for not working as hard.

However, this makes several assumptions.

Assumption 1: One's fortunes are detached from one's family.

This is clearly untrue, given the billion-dollar tuition industry in Singapore. Parents are paying top dollar to ensure that their children perform better relative to others. Even real estate near "top" primary schools can command a higher premium.

Assumption 2: Our formal education is able to test a wide array of abilities

This is also untrue, given how expertise in certain subjects is still valued over others. There is still an emphasis on doing well in formal examinations and standardised tests, although this seems to be slowly changing. However, it remains that some people will perform better than others due to natural inequalities even if they put in the same amount of effort.

Final Thoughts

There are several other assumptions that do not hold true. However, what we can take away from the above is this - that poor people are not deserving of the plight they are in. Conversely, the people at the top do not owe their achievements entirely to their hard work.

The implication of believing that people deserve to be where they are due to how much effort they put in contributes to hubris among 'winners', and humiliates the 'losers'.

"Why should we help the poor/lazy?" is a statement that we sometimes hear.

This book sheds many insights into poverty and inequality in Singapore. As we continue to progress economically, it is paramount that we understand why some are left behind, and how we can help to ameliorate this situation.

The poor aren't necessarily lazy; The rich aren't necessarily hardworking.