Akimbo: A Podcast from Seth Godin cover image

Akimbo: A Podcast from Seth Godin

False merit, appearing real (E)

Nov 1, 2023
The podcast explores the concept of merit and its relevance in different contexts. It discusses the challenges elite institutions face in redefining merit and highlights the influence of factors like family educational background and soft skills. The podcast also examines how cultural rules can influence companies losing focus on their customers and explores the differences between working for a public company and a private company.
23:11

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Merit is subjective and influenced by biases and privilege in various domains.
  • Income inequality can impact parenting practices and drive a belief in flawed systems.

Deep dives

The evolving definition of merit

In this podcast episode, the concept of merit is explored in different contexts, starting with an example of building an airplane out of wood. The episode then delves into how merit is defined in sports, highlighting the correlation between college choice and income in the NBA. The episode also discusses how Billy Bean disrupted the system by challenging conventional thinking in baseball. In the context of elite institutions like Harvard and Yale, the definition of merit has evolved over time, with a shift towards considering soft skills and diversifying admissions. The episode questions whether merit is truly objective and looks at how biases and privilege play a role in who is awarded merit.

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