--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is no solidarity in a meritocracy…" description: "\"“There is no solidarity in a meritocracy. The very idea contradicts the ideology of the well-graduated technocrats who rule us. As we shall see, leadin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/thomas-frank-4078_less-fortunate_there-is-no-solidarity-in-a-meritocracy_3034846.png" --- # There is no solidarity in a meritocracy. The very idea… ![“There is no solidarity in a meritocracy. The very idea contradicts the ideology of the well-graduated technocrats who rule us. As we shall see, leading members of the professional class show enormous respect for one another -- what I will call "professional courtesy" -- but they feel precious…” quote by Thomas Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/thomas-frank-4078_less-fortunate_there-is-no-solidarity-in-a-meritocracy_3034846.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/thomas-frank-4078_less-fortunate_there-is-no-solidarity-in-a-meritocracy_3034846.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/thomas-frank-4078_less-fortunate_there-is-no-solidarity-in-a-meritocracy_3034846.png) > ““There is no solidarity in a meritocracy. The very idea contradicts the ideology of the well-graduated technocrats who rule us. As we shall see, leading members of the professional class show enormous respect for one another -- what I will call "professional courtesy" -- but they feel precious little sympathy for the less fortunate members of their own cohort -- for the adjuncts frozen out of the academic market for tenure, for colleagues who got fired, or even for the kids who don't get into "good" colleges. That life doesn't shower its blessings on people who can't make the grade isn't a shock or an injustice; it's the way things ought to be. This has all sorts of important consequences for liberalism, but let us here take note of just one before proceeding: professionals do not hold that other Democratic constituency, organized labor, in particularly high regard. This attitude is documented in study after study of professional-class life. One reason for this is because solidarity, the core value of unions, stands in stark contradiction to the doctrine of individual excellence that every profession embodies. The idea that someone should command good pay for doing a job that doesn't require specialized training seems to professionals to be an obvious fallacy.”” [Thomas Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-frank/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Meritocracy creates a lack of solidarity among professionals, who respect peers but ignore less fortunate colleagues. **In simple terms:** Meritocracy undermines collective support among experts. Key Takeaway Foster empathy beyond competition. Themes meritocracy solidarity professional class inequality Mood analytical critical Type political social When to use this quote - universities - corporate culture - policy debates Key Concepts class division labor relations academic tenure Questions to Reflect On - How can professionals build solidarity? - What policies could bridge meritocratic gaps? A Different Perspective Meritocracy can ignore systemic barriers; not all professionals are indifferent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Less fortunate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/less-fortunate/) [Meritocracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meritocracy/) [Organized labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organized-labor/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Solidarity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solidarity/) ## Related quotes > [Maryland will always have the backs of working people and organized labor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-moore/maryland-will-always-have-the-backs-of-working-people-and-organized/) [Wes Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-moore/) > [I am a huge believer in organized labor. Period. Full stop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-murphy/i-am-a-huge-believer-in-organized-labor-period-full-stop/) [Phil Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-murphy/) > [“Organized labor is organized to take control of an asset away from its rightful owners without paying for it. Organized labor is organization of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/organized-labor-is-organized-to-take-control-of-an-asset-away-from/) [Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/) > [A small group is powerful in matters relating to a particular industry, because then it is normally the only organized force, but it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mancur-olson/a-small-group-is-powerful-in-matters-relating-to-a-particular/) [Mancur Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mancur-olson/) > [Labor unions have a long history of benefitting all workers, even those who are not members of unions, because everyone's wages go up. 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By…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/history-is-a-great-teacher-now-everyone-knows-that-the-labor-movement/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Every advance in this half-century-Social Security, civil rights, Medicare, aid to education, one after another-came with the support and leadership of American Labor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/every-advance-in-this-half-century-social-security-civil-rights/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [I usually lump organized religion, organized labor, and organized crime together. 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