“That is the horror of the advocacy of “fairness.” It’s a drive deriving from the fanatical prospect of equal outcome and, only a specific perspective of the human experience facilitates it. I will explain more about that in a moment but, the reality is; there is no fairness. It doesn’t exist in the natural order and actually, that’s perfectly fair. “

My pal, Tony

I love fishing with my pal, Tony. One of the many things that make him an interesting person is his intricate understanding of the physical universe, and his son who is studying at Brown, is likewise brilliant. I can’t understand a damn thing he says when he speaks freely but, he’s kind enough to acknowledge when I’m staring at him with the same look as a Labrador who just spooked himself awake with an unintended & obnoxiously loud fart. In those moments, he’ll dumb down the point he’s trying to make so I can understand better. I meet a lot of smart people doing what I do, and even a few other physicists. However, what makes Tony so fascinating is that he reached this point long after crawling out of the type of dark pits most of us will never know. I don’t feel it’s appropriate to detail his story here, especially without his prior permission but, I will say that I find Tony to be a remarkable person for the contrast that exists between who he is now and who he used to be. I’m blessed in my role, to be perpetually engaged with interesting people and, Tony is no exception. At 71-years-old he is still living a full life. He’s heavily involved in martial arts, he works a part-time “retiree” job at a ski-shop which benefits him regular access to the slopes. Nine or ten times a season, he comes to visit me as well. Often, our conversations wander off into the far reaches of contemplation and I appreciate a dialogue that challenges my current form of thinking. Eventually and inevitably, a topic arises which requires us to really explore the depth of our social and political philosophies. Yesterday, we spoke about affluence and equity. Subsequently, the conversation turned to the frequent stance of opposition to those concepts. As we circled around to the idea of “fairness,” I found a sudden and stubborn resolve. 

Fairness is bullshit. 

The flood

Imagine a flood was in the forecast so you went outside to fill sand bags and stack them around your home. Imagine the labors; the sweat and the aches. Imagine building these fortifications while some of your neighbors dismissed you… even belittled you. Imagine doing it while your home was in disrepair but, it was all you had and therefore you were willing to do anything and everything to protect it. Imagine if you broke your back over trying to protect this thing, not so that it would stay in its present state but, so that once it had weathered the storm it could become something great. Something you could build. Something abnormal and abundant. 

Now, imagine the storm has come, and the tune of your neighbors has changed. Now they understand the gravity of it and they pine for some of the same protections you’ve built for your home. From the goodness of your heart and, in the interest of a strengthened community, you forgive their prior transgressions and you offer the little bit of knowledge you have about building flood walls from sand bags. You even offer your labors, and pitch in with filling and stacking their bags and building their walls. 

Unfortunately for your neighbors, they chose the reactionary path, not the proactive path and as a result – much of the funds needed to buy materials for these fortifications were spent on trivial things and senseless pursuits of pleasure. While they mocked you and squandered their earnings, you prepared for the unforeseen. Your home is safe and when the storm rolls in, you have inadvertently made a target out of yourself. 

Your neighbors envy your comfortable condition. They fail to rise before their own accountability and instead, they focus their efforts on dismantling your safety in regard for their own. Again, you try with all you have to be like your creator, and you approach your neighbor’s angst with grace. You forgive their entitled, angry, adolescent minded logic and you go as far as sacrificing some of your own bags to help them. 

You feel shame for the resentment you now hold for these people. You fear you’ll never respect them as a result of their foolish behavior and, you pray for strength. 

Your neighbors stack the bags you’ve given them, and the fleeting moment of placation fades when they notice that though you’ve given them the materials to build their own walls higher, their walls still aren’t as tall as yours… 

They don’t have the courage to bring their complaints before you individually. Instead they form a mob and they go before the authority of the governing body. They advocate against you, they saturate their narrative of plight in victimization, and they mask their greed and sloth in a charade of egalitarianism. They succeed in taking from you, what was never theirs, and what they refused to get off their asses to earn. 

Imagine such a world. How would you proceed? 

Only answer if you want to

You don’t have to answer that question. I can’t. I’ve tried for a lot of years and I always fall short. I don’t know how to proceed in similar situations and as often as I ask the Big Dog for guidance, on this particular topic, he leaves me to navigate it solo. There’s a part of me that’s so burned by the reality of it. I see it everywhere in the world (especially in affluent, first world nations) and I roll my eyes at it. It’s when I see it in my own back yard, in my community, and in my circle; that’s when it really starts to hurt my feelings. At some point, after you’ve tried to set an example, and long after you’ve offered advice or help, and even after you’ve given some of your own earnings to help others; they exhibit their weakness beyond just a fleeting moment and that ugliness becomes their identity. You stop recognizing them as the person you hope they can be, and you start to see them for who they really are. 

That is the horror of the advocacy of “fairness.” It’s a drive deriving from the fanatical prospect of equal outcome and, only a specific perspective of the human experience facilitates it. I will explain more about that in a moment but, the reality is; there is no fairness. It doesn’t exist in the natural order and actually, that’s perfectly fair. 

We can’t all be born into affluence. We can’t all be given the looks of John Stamos, or the athleticism of Bo Jackson, or the minds of our time’s most powerful philosophers, thought-leaders, and strategists. If everything was fair, nothing would be. However, what focusing on the illusion of fairness tragically results in is the negation of the most beautiful counterbalances to inequity gifted to the world by God…

Liberty, effort, & opportunity. 

Fairness is bullshit and Tony is proof of it. Despite the odds being stacked against him, he made his way in this world and is thriving as a result. Fairness is the rallying cry of people who address the world the way they wish it were. It is a distraction that starts out being used to cope inadvertently by underperformers and eventually becomes the intentional crutch those same people use to avoid the accountability of their own poor choices or apathy. For those who address the world the way it is, fairness is a non-issue. It’s not something to concern themselves with, until it’s unjustly leveraged against them in an ironically unfair manner. For instance, when everyone had the equal opportunity to plan and prepare for the incoming flood but chose not to, and later sent authority to take from those who did prepare by force. This example I keep referring to, truly illustrates the authentic nature of both fairness and unfairness. As is so common in most issues today, the morally correct position is on the opposing end of the advocates. It is fair that everyone had the liberty to choose if they would take advantage of the opportunity, prior to the storm, to put forth the effort to secure their assets. It is unfair that those who chose well should have their property; the fruits of their labors and the earnings of their efforts, forcefully taken from them in the name of equality. 

I’m so tired of hearing about fairness. I’m so tired of dealing with the outcome of its advocacy in my life. I’ve been pulling from my pile of sandbags for so long, I’m starting to see a trickle of flood water coming in. Even still, my neighbors are demanding more. At some point, I hope the flood waters recede for us all so I can see you for who you are when the consequences of your choices aren’t weighing on you.

Thanks, bud

Tony, if you’re reading this, thanks for hanging out with me for the past couple days. I love fishing with you brother, and I always feel better about the heavy shit on my mind after we chat. I hope the slopes treat you well for the rest of the season and I’ll see you again soon!

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