Merit is superior and the Romans agree. Taking a walk down the road of history. History is often about perspective, the view used to examine the snapshot of time. The observing is often set with a predisposition of a desired outcome. Knowing that lets us dive into several historical examples of how merit is superior to credentials.

The 80/20 rule or the Pareto Distribution is a good rule of thumb. Swirl in a big mix of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and the world of merit begins to rise above credentialing. Simply put 20% of the people in the world are striving for growth regardless of the environment.

Romans and Merit

Vespasian The Roman Emperor, full name Titus Flavius Vespasianus — Titus Flavius Vespasianus

Let’s look at Roman rulers, Vespasian, the father of the Titus and Marcus Aurelius, and his son Commodus. Looking for a fun movie with Marcus Aurelius, albeit a small role, Gladiator is your choice. You will also get a good dose of the insanity that was the megalomaniac Commodus.

Gladiator, The Movie

Gladiator Movie Poster. — The Movie Gladiator

We all remember seeing the movies where the protagonist gets a calling out with the statement, “You’ve changed, man.” The secret to this is the promotion of the environment. They know inside the new environment is allowing them to act the way they have always desired to act. The environment didn’t change them, they are who they are. This is an internal example of the title, Merit is superior and the romans agree.