Marty Nemko, a career coach, author and radio talk-show host in the San Francisco area, who has very practical career and educational advice that I highly recommend, wrote a very personal article titled “What the Hell is the Meaning of Life”. This article is the fifth (here is the first) of a seven part series in response to Marty’s question. In this article I’ll address the issue meritocracy from a spiritual perspective.

Marty wrote,

“I particularly value meritocracy. I believe that more good accrues from ensuring a meritocracy than nearly anything else. 30 years ago that would have meant dismantling the ol’ white boy’s network. But alas, today, the ol’ boy network has largely been replaced by the Diversity Industry, all-powerful and hell-bent on ensuring that women and minorities get slots in colleges and employment even when less qualified.”

I agree with you. Diversity is considered politically correct but meritrocity is superior because it is spiritually correct. From a lower, material perspective diversity seems right. Of course we should all just “get along” and any attempts to force this diversity along seems appropriate. However, it’s in the forcing that the diversity industry makes the mistake. By forcing, the diversity crowd actually causes an imbalance resulting from the resentment of the discriminatee and the false achievement of the discriminator.

From a spiritual perspective, diversity for diversity’s sake is unnecessary and unsound; after all, do you see forced diversity in nature? Meritocracy is how the natural world and the divine plan work. We are blessed with the potential to express unlimited amounts of love, wisdom, joy, compassion, peace, strength and courage. But we’re not given the ability to perfectly express these qualities. We’re not given the ability to perfectly express any talent or skill. We have to work at it just like anything else. We have to earn what we have.

Even though you are correct in your endorsement of meritrocracy, you’re attitude about is seems too militaristic or fundamentalist. Although you don’t want to let the diversity crowd “walk all over” the “silenced majority”, put it in a higher perspective and, while you continue to make your points, trust that what will work out is correct and that God’s divine plan will ultimately prevail, as it always does. With this loftier perspective you can allow the diversity crowd, including your daughter (of whom you say, “And my only child, who is an ardent employee of the Diversity Industry, refuses to talk to me, in large measure because of my views on reverse discrimination”), to have their opinions. Look at it as an opportunity to develop and express tolerance, goodwill, and peace. You can have mature discussions about it but don’t let it degrade into pettiness and positioning. Let them be “right”.

Next time – are relationships and/or religious faith the answer to the meaning of life?

Marty Nemko, a career coach, author and radio talk-show host in the San Francisco area, who has very practical career and educational advice that I highly recommend, wrote a very personal article titled “What the Hell is the Meaning of Life”. This article is the fourth (here is the first) of a seven part series in response to Marty’s question. In this article I’ll address the issue of prestige from a spiritual perspective.

Marty wrote,

“Next, I tried prestige: got a PhD from Berkeley, became a professor. But in my social science field, I often felt like an emperor with no clothes. So much social “Science” is poorly substantiated, politically motivated theory. My students ate it up but I felt I was often feeding them ersatz food.”

This idea of trying to find meaning from prestige is similar to the issue of noble work mentioned earlier. Again it implies that it’s not work that you truly want to do but rather you’re only doing it because you expect society to stroke your ego when you tell them about the initials after your name and what you do. This is not a proper perspective. Your personality is the only part of you that’s concerned with prestige. It’s hoping that with prestige comes safety and security. This seems logical from the personality’s perspective but there is no true security from this…it’s empty and vapid. True prestige is a result of understanding and expressing the divinity within you. It is a spiritual prestige that comes from being a shining example of true love, wisdom, beauty, peace and compassion (see “The Meaning of Life: Rise and Shine”). Spiritual prestige follows from your service and contribution to humanity. However, this prestige is not recognized publicly nor is it desired to be recognized that way. It’s an inner knowing and acknowledgment that results in “J-O-Y” after your name rather than any other initials. And from what I can tell you are providing good advice and seem to truly want to help people and this is worthy of divine prestige.

Next time – is meritocracy the answer to the meaning of life?

Marty Nemko, a career coach, author and radio talk-show host in the San Francisco area, who has very practical career and educational advice that I highly recommend, wrote a very personal article titled “What the Hell is the Meaning of Life”. This article is the third (here is the first) of a seven part series in response to Marty’s question. In this article I’ll address the issue of work, and noble work, from a spiritual perspective.

Marty wrote,

“Then I tried noble work—teaching in the inner-city. But the problems those kids faced were so big, so multi-dimensional, that despite my trying hard, very hard, I felt I wasn’t making much difference.”Later he wrote “I’ve been trying the values route: focusing on what did I most value: work. To that end, I decided to be a career counselor. I believed that helping people find right livelihood would make my life feel meaningful. But now, 18 years and 2,400 clients later, despite a 96 percent client satisfaction rate and the San Francisco Bay Guardian naming me “The Bay Area’s Best Career Coach,” that feels empty too.”

You separately mention noble work and work. Your discussion of “noble” work implies that it’s not work that you truly want to do but rather that your doing because you’re “suppose to” according to society or your family. Obviously this is not the right attitude toward proper work. However your discussion of “regular” work and your accomplishments are from a higher perspective! Work is one of the main places where we’re meant to express goodwill, competence, wisdom and peace. We’re meant to serve humanity and contribute to it’s growth and one of the main ways to do that is through work. You are doing that! You provide great practical advice and guidance for people particularly in the areas of career and education. Your are “shining” as I discuss in my article “The Meaning of Life: Rise and Shine!”

I have to mention your comment about how your services may negatively influence another and, by extension, society since it’s a perfect example of how you’re looking a life from a limited perspective. You wrote,

“Even when a client lands a good job, I too often wonder if my efforts to package my client yielded a net negative to society: some more deserving person, who couldn’t afford a career coach, didn’t get the job.”

From this perspective you “see” how your services may negatively influence another and, by extension, society instead of “seeing” that from a broader perspective that these other people are guided and influenced by their benevolent Higher Self and that what is meant for them will be…maybe the job they would have gotten but for your client with your influence would have been a terrible disaster for them, maybe they’ll find their own “Marty Nemko”…maybe they’ll totally change careers and do something they’ve always really wanted to do…who knows….the point is that they’ll be “OK” in the end.

Next time – is prestige the answer to the meaning of life?