The Meritocracy Trap: If Our Talents Are the Result of Genetics and Upbringing, Can Anyone Truly Deserve Their Success?
Introduction
Human beings never choose the circumstances into which they are born. We do not choose our parents, our genes, our natural abilities, or even the environment that first shapes us. Some people are born with extraordinary intelligence, musical ability, athleticism, or creativity, while others inherit different strengths and weaknesses. Scientific research suggests that these talents are influenced by genetics and developed through upbringing, while many religious traditions describe them as gifts from God. This raises an important philosophical question: if our talents are given to us rather than earned, can we truly deserve the success that results from them?
Some argue that the answer is no because every achievement ultimately depends on advantages we never chose. I disagree. Although talent may be inherited, success is not simply the product of possessing talent. Success depends on how individuals recognize, develop, and apply their natural abilities. Talent creates potential, but choices transform potential into achievement. Therefore, while people cannot claim credit for being born talented, they can deserve recognition for what they choose to do with those talents.
Talent Is Potential, Not Success.
Talent is often understood as a natural ability that enables someone to perform unusually well in a particular area. From a religious perspective, talent may be viewed as a gift from God. From a scientific perspective, it is largely explained by genetic inheritance and environmental development. Although these explanations come from different worldviews, both agree on one point: talent exists before conscious choice.
However, talent should not be confused with success. Talent is only potential. Skills, knowledge, experience, discipline, and wisdom are all developed over time. An individual may possess remarkable talent but achieve very little if they refuse to work, while someone with average natural ability may accomplish extraordinary things through determination and consistent effort.
For this reason, talent should be viewed as the foundation rather than the finished building. It provides the possibility of success, but it does not guarantee it. The visible achievements that society celebrates are usually the result of years of learning, persistence, failure, and adaptation rather than talent alone.
The Golden Spoon Analogy.
Imagine a grandfather who creates a beautiful golden spoon and passes it down through generations. Each generation treasures it as a family heirloom until one descendant decides to sell it. Instead of preserving the spoon, he invests the money into businesses, acquires new skills, and eventually builds considerable wealth.
The golden spoon represents inherited talent. Critics may argue that the descendant owes all his success to the inheritance because without the spoon he would have had nothing to invest. However, this argument overlooks an important fact: possession does not guarantee wise use.
Another person might have hidden the spoon away forever. Someone else might have wasted the money after selling it. Another might have lost it through poor decisions. The inheritance remained the same, but the outcomes differed because the decisions differed.
Success therefore comes not merely from receiving talent but from exercising judgment about how that talent is used. The descendant deserves recognition not because he inherited the spoon but because he transformed an inherited opportunity into something greater through his own choices.
This illustrates an important distinction. We cannot choose what we inherit, but we can choose what we become through what we inherit.
Factors Beyond Genetics and Upbringing.
Although genetics and upbringing shape talent, they do not completely determine success. Many other influences affect whether natural ability develops into achievement. These influences can be divided into external and internal factors.
External factors include socioeconomic background, access to education, mentorship, cultural expectations, professional opportunities, discrimination, and social networks. These circumstances can either encourage or hinder the development of talent. For example, two equally gifted musicians may experience very different careers if one has access to excellent teachers while the other does not.
Internal factors are equally significant. These include motivation, discipline, perseverance, resilience, emotional intelligence, confidence, curiosity, and the willingness to continue learning. These qualities determine whether individuals continue developing even when success is uncertain.
An individual who consistently improves, seeks feedback, learns from failure, and remains committed to personal growth often surpasses someone with greater natural ability but less determination. In many cases, success reflects the interaction between inherited potential and personal character.
Do People Deserve Credit?
Critics may argue that even qualities such as discipline or resilience are themselves influenced by genetics and upbringing. If this is true, perhaps no one deserves credit for anything.
While this objection raises an important philosophical concern, it overlooks the role of ongoing human agency. People constantly make decisions that shape their future. Every day individuals decide whether to practice or procrastinate, whether to learn or remain comfortable, whether to persevere or give up. These repeated choices gradually shape character and determine long-term outcomes.
Responsibility therefore exists even if it is not absolute. People may not control every circumstance that influences them, but they still exercise meaningful choice within those circumstances. Success deserves recognition because it reflects not only what people have received but also what they have repeatedly chosen to do.
Conclusion.
No one earns the talents with which they are born. Whether those talents are understood as gifts from God or products of genetics, they are inherited rather than chosen. Nevertheless, talent alone does not explain success. Success emerges through discipline, learning, judgment, resilience, and the countless decisions individuals make throughout their lives.
The question is therefore not whether people deserve the talents they possess but whether they deserve recognition for how they use them. Since individuals differ greatly in how they develop, direct, and apply their natural abilities, success cannot be reduced to genetics or upbringing alone.
For this reason, I believe people can genuinely deserve their success. They deserve it not because they were fortunate enough to possess talent, but because they transformed that talent into meaningful achievement through intentional action. We do not earn our gifts, but we can earn what we make of them.
About the Author
Ayanfeoluwa is a third-year medical student at Babcock University, Nigeria with a growing interest in clinical medicine, public health, and medical research. Passionate about understanding the intersection of science and human behaviour, she enjoys exploring topics in psychology, neuroscience, and preventive healthcare. Beyond academics, she is actively involved in student leadership and community engagement, where she contributes to initiatives that promote collaboration and positive social impact. She is committed to lifelong learning and aspires to become a physician who combines clinical excellence with compassion, research, and advocacy to improve health outcomes.
