ERRP: Equality of Realized Recognized Potential

By Shlomo Maital  

      My previous blog asked, why is the world in such a mess?  And used the 7-why approach to suggest an answer. The cause: Vast growing inequality in income and wealth. Wasted human potential. Marginalized masses who vote for populist autocrats.

      But this was about causes.

      What about remedies? 

      A conversation with a brilliant friend suggested the following:   (Talking things over with smart friends is both enjoyable, enlightening and often, highly productive!  Try it often!).

      In short:  ERRP.   Equality of Realized Recognized Opportunity. 

      Here is the idea.  In Jewish tradition, beginning with Abraham, everyone human being on this planet, all 8.025 billion, and all 109 billion people who have ever lived, over the past 50,000 years, were put here to “be a blessing”.  To create value for others. 

       But how?  What do I know, what talents do I have, that can be a blessing to others? 

       Many of us have no idea.  Many don’t even get to asking the question.  Me? It took me decades.  And I’m still not quite sure.

       There is massive inequality in the world.  And 2,700 billionaires, who use their wealth to perpetuate it by buying political influence.  This is wreaking havoc. 

       Here is the plan.  We know a whole lot about how to evaluate children’s and youths’ talents and skills.  Gather the top experts and build a system for doing this, age 7 to 15.  The goal:  Find and recognize potential and help each person realize it.  No compulsion here?  Simply information.  A youth may be told he has musical talent – and chooses to study medicine.  But the fundamental paradox here is:  We make life/career choices at 18, at a time when we are least able to do so and least informed about who we really are.

          Equality of realized recognized potential.  ERRP. Because – once this is done, and once the young person decides to embrace what is recommended – resources need to be provided to implement it.  Not only recognized potential, but help to realize it. 

          How?  You guessed it.  Taxing some of the huge wealth of the billionaires, piled up through our sweat and blood.

          We each can be a blessing to the world. But how?   Can we use our vast knowledge of social science to help provide young people with answers, at a time when they lack them? And then, most crucial, implement what they wish.