Ask HN: When and how did you realize that "equal opportunities" is a lie?

When you use equal to describe anything subjective. Really equal is a theoretical concept even in science

I don't think it's a lie, but I think it's an illusion. Today's outcomes are tomorrow's opportunities. If you take two people and give them equal opportunities, then check in again five years later, they won't be in the same position any longer. But this means they don't have equal opportunities any longer.

To be committed to equal opportunities is to deny people the right to take advantage of better outcomes. But then what's the point in trying?

I'm 50 and I haven't realized that. What I have grown to understand is that there are often prerequisite opportunities that must be taken advantage of before some opportunities can be realized. Also, while many opportunities are skill based, there's a significant component of being able to recognize and seize opportunities that isn't always obvious until it passes you by. A great many times there are no second chances. My failure in having the required skills and being able know when and how to avail myself I never perceived as not having had equal opportunity at it.

Often times when I hear people complain about lack of equal opportunities they are using that as a code phrase for not having equal outcomes. Outcomes are often not equal because the inputs are not equal and The limited set you judge upon is a limited set. Some opportunities do have a component of luck built in as well especially when you're looking at top tier very limited positions. For example if you want to be an astronaut there are many people who can have the intellectual and physical qualifications to meet the job role but due to the limited nature of the jobs you must be very lucky to get one of the positions. Often times people look at these very limited positions where there may be a thousand in the entire world but there could be 100,000 equally qualified people for the position and they complain that equal opportunities didn't exist. They did exist but the limited nature of the positions means that luck is involved.

Buying a lottery ticket everyone has equal odds of winning but the nature of it means not everyone will win. That does not mean that they did not all have equal opportunity to win.

aspiration != lie