181. What’s So Great About Meritocracy?
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Do you really deserve the credit for your accomplishments? Should college admissions be determined by lottery? And how did Mike’s contribution to a charity auction change his life? 

• SOURCES:

• Warren Buffett), investor and philanthropist.

• James Flynn), political philosopher at the University of Otago.

• Robert Frank), professor emeritus of management at Cornell SC Johnson College of Business.

• Rogé Karma), staff writer at The Atlantic.

• Nicholas Lemann), professor of journalism and dean emeritus at Columbia Journalism School.

• Daniel Markovits), professor of law at Yale Law School.

• Charles Munger), investor and philanthropist.

• John Rawls), 20th-century legal and political philosopher.

• Guy Raz), creator and host of How I Built This and Wisdom from the Top; founder and C.E.O. of Built-It Productions.

• Michael Sandel), professor of government at Harvard University.

• Martin Seligman), professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania.

• Ryan Smith), founder and executive chairman of Qualtrics; owner of the Utah Jazz.

• RESOURCES:

• The Tyranny of Merit: What's Become of the Common Good?)* *by Michael Sandel (2020).

• The Meritocracy Trap: How America's Foundational Myth Feeds Inequality, Dismantles the Middle Class, and Devours the Elite)*, *by Daniel Markovits (2019).

• "'The Meritocracy Trap,' Explained)," by Rogé Karma (*Vox, *2019).

• "Reflections About Intelligence Over 40 Years)," by James Flynn (*Intelligence, *2018).

• "Here’s Why Warren Buffett Says That He and Charlie Munger Are Successful)," by Emmie Martin (*CNBC, *2018).

• Success and Luck: Good Fortune and the Myth of Meritocracy)*, *by Robert Frank (2016).

• The Lottery)*, *film by Madeleine Sackler (2010).

• The Big Test: The Secret History of the American Meritocracy)*, *by Nicholas Lemann (1999).

• “The Psychology of Human Misjudgment),” speech by Charles Munger (1995).

• EXTRAS:

• "What’s the Point of I.Q. Testing?)" by *No Stupid Questions *(2023).

• "What’s So Bad About Nepotism?)" by *No Stupid Questions *(2022).