DISTINGUISHING EQUALITY AND COMPETENCE

Equality is one of the being-values that Abraham Maslow identified. If that’s true, then the sense of human equality is one of those values which are wired into us and an essential part of what makes us fully human/ fully alive. But what does equality mean?

What is obviously does not mean is that we are all equal in intelligence, talents, abilities, or genetics. Genetically, we are all different in many unequal ways. This lack of equality goes to our DNA which goes back to our neurological gifts or challenges. We are also not equal in terms of our family heritage, our social status, our financial status, the advantages or disadvantages of our town or country. In all of these areas, there are lots of inequalities.

In the 18th century a new budding idea was given birth. In the first democracies in the late 18 th century, the idea was conceived that “all men are created equal by their creator and endowed with certain inalienable rights, among them life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” At that time, that was really radical! For the many millennia of human history, people had accepted as a given that people are not equal in value and therefore made no attempt to establish equality in the eyes of the law. Instead, they had built up caste systems, hierarchies of power, and myths about royal blood lines.

The idea that all people are created equal then lead to an equally radical concepts, namely, that we can, and should, create political, economic, and social systems to actualize that idea. In 1776 that gave birth to the US Constitution and launched an “experiment” in democracy which sought to answer the question, “Can free men and women govern themselves?” Or do we need those who are innately “superior” (those of the higher classes, the ruling classes) to govern us?

This idea of equality is not an equality created by people being educated, trained, or manipulated to be the same, to have the same talents, beliefs, understandings, skills, etc. That’s impossible. And if it were possible, it would be a nightmare. It is rather a belief in all people are to be equally valued in the eyes of the law. All are to be treated by the same rules and applications of the rules. No one should get preferential treatment. Those who make the laws should equally have to obey the same laws as everyone else.

At the same time we are equal before the law, we are also very different. We differ in our talents, skills, interests, capacities, understandings, meanings, beliefs, preferences, habits, and on and on. And this diversity lies within the concept of equal as persons. Consequently, what does not matter any longer is ethnic background, family of origin, birthplace, creed, skin color, lifestyle, etc. No person is “better” than another. No one is “superior” than another. We are all human beings—all

members of the one and only “race” on planet earth, the human race.

In making distinctions about people, we distinguish competencies of skills, not their humanity. In terms of their humanity, we are all one; we are all equal. In terms of skills, competencies, what we can do, what we are good at—we are all very different. Some are smarter, some are faster, some are stronger, some have more money, some are more interested in money, some are more loving, etc. And because we are all equal in humanity—the differences do not create a basis for superiority of persons.

Now we can look upon someone superiority in a skill, knowledge, competency, etc. as a human possibility that the rest of us can learn from and model. Now we can respect and honor every such superiority, knowing that it is a gift to humanity which can enrich us all. This explains why it is perfectly fine to give accurate feedback to children about what they excel in. If one is superior in math or music or literature or whatever, that is God’s gift to that person. It is not that person’s “superiority.” To have a contest and give “prizes to all” so that “all can win” confuses this distinction between equality and confidence.

Let’s honor our equality as persons and our equality in value as human beings while simultaneously embrace our differences. Let’s respect each person and challenge each one to be the best version of him or herself.