“There is in the human heart a depraved taste for equality that leads the weak to want to bring the strong down to their level, and drives men to prefer equality in servitude over inequality in freedom,” said Alexis de Tocqueville. His words make me reflect on what we see today. Many people demand everything be equal: same wages, same opportunities, with no one standing out. But is that really what we want?
Sometimes it seems we can’t stand others having more. If someone rises, there are those who’d rather pull them down than climb up themselves. It’s as if equality comforts us, even if it means losing the chance to be free. I think of those who abandon their dreams because not everyone can achieve them. Is it fair to dim what shines just so no one feels lesser?
Nature isn’t egalitarian: there are tall and short trees, big and small rivers. Yet we try to level everything, even if it means staying still. We want a world without envy, but also without effort or achievement.
Tocqueville saw it clearly: this equality can be a trap, a form of servitude we accept because it feels safe.
So, what’s better? Living free, even if some have more, or being all the same, even if it means we can’t grow?
Obviously, I know the answer.