Why Good Work Doesn’t Rise on Its Own
We’ve been told a story:
If you work hard, if your ideas are good, if you stay committed—success will come.
But in reality, that’s not how visibility works.
Because visibility doesn’t follow merit.
It follows capital.
Merit Is Not Enough
The world doesn’t reward ideas based on:
- How much healing they offer
- How much harm they prevent
- How deep, true, or visionary they are
It rewards them based on:
- How well they fit what people already believe
- Who’s promoting them
- How “safe” or “familiar” they feel to those in power
That’s why:
- Mediocre voices with big platforms go viral
- Visionary work from outsiders gets ignored
- Survivors are seen as emotional, while abusers are called “complicated”
Success Is Not a Sign of Truth
Just because someone is widely shared doesn’t mean their message is right.
Just because someone is overlooked doesn’t mean they’re wrong.
Merit has never been neutral.
It’s filtered—through class, race, gender, language, credentials, and access.
This isn’t a flaw in the system.
It is the system.
What This Does to Us
When we internalize the myth of merit, we start to believe:
“If no one’s listening, I must not be good enough.”
“If they’re succeeding and I’m not, maybe I’m wrong.”
“If I need help, I must not deserve support.”
But once you name the myth, you stop confusing visibility with value.
You stop waiting to be picked.
You stop shrinking your voice to fit the algorithm of acceptance.
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