>>12968845Meritocracy only matters when there isn't stagnation.
Most institutions perform their roles according to the formulas put in place long ago and are pretty much on auto-pilot.
They're comprised of either mindless drudgery, performative fake-work, or no-work positions.
If you are trying to get into an un-stagnated field of work, good luck distinguishing yourself from the hordes of fake-it-til-you-make-its and resume padders even if you really are more competent than them.
If you wish to compete, you pretty much have to play the same game.
But to play that game usually means sacrificing time that could be spent honing your skills.
