American meritocracy has slowly devolved into rewarding people with the most perfect records, stifling the creativity and risk-taking our country needs most to thrive.
One special advantage of living in America was that it was possible to be weird and successful. The US economy offered a lot of second chances and a high tolerance for unusual career arcs. There weren’t exams (as there are in other countries) that tracked you from an early age, herding you into a career path or limiting your education opportunities.
There were plenty of good colleges and universities, and they all would take some unconventional students. There were a range of companies with different cultures and a general acceptance — even a celebration — of quirkiness. You could start a business, fail, and still succeed the next time, or just try something else. Some of the most successful Americans had non-traditional career histories, or declined to follow a linear, well-worn, rule-following path. Some — egad — didn’t even go to elite schools.
Continue reading the entire piece here at Bloomberg Opinion (paywall)
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Allison Schrager is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a contributing editor of City Journal.
Photo by Marian Vejcik/iStock
