Downward social mobility

Finally! A topic I have held in my heart for the longest time.

I Annetta Mother-Smith passionately believe in downward social mobility.

I say that having literally just written the post about generational disrespect and not having a scarcity mindset.

Hear me out. This is a UK issue. Or at least a political one.

Politicians are always selling us on hope, your children’s lives if they are talented, will be better than yours because they can move up in the world according to their talent.

What happens if your children AREN’T TALENTED? What happens if the professor gives birth to a child that is below average intelligence. Do they move up in the world?

This subject first came to my attention due to my ex-husband. No disrespect or slight is intended here, simply observations. My ex-husband’s parents were both accountants and I’d met both of them and they were objectively intelligent people. The mum especially, came from a working class background and then worked her way up.

My ex husband however was the eldest of 3 children, and his siblings are smarter than he is (remember there are many ways you can define intelligence, “street smarts,” vocational, academic etc…) but he was distinctly average and by the way there is nothing wrong with average.

This child, from here on shall be called Child A, is the product of parents who have achieved excellence. They have worked their way up the class system by the strength of their intelligence and hard work. Their son however is neither hard working, nor particularly intelligent. Does this person stay in the middle class hum-drum his parents have worked so hard to achieve? Or should he slide down to the working class manual labour that would suit him better.

Now, for one person to gain, another must loose. If we allow people to rise up due to the strength of their own achievements, we must also allow people to fall from their lack of it.

Remember, achievement is different from success. Success is subjective, where as there are objective measures of academic/vocational achievement. Do not think that if you are telling someone that they aren’t academic, that they are stupid. Lord Sugar left school at 16, is he stupid?

The price is that the “poor bright” boy doesn’t get into Oxford, and that kid doesn’t get the resources he needs to cure cancer and as a result, we all loose. No one wants to see their children fail. But failing is different to them finding their level. Finding their level allows them to find themselves, and in doing so allows them to be true to themselves. People I know who would benefit from downward social mobility are in high positions due to who their parents are/were and have massive chips on their shoulder due to imposter syndrome, they are surrounded by people who worked for what they got and are acutely aware that they did not and are terrified of being found out. That manifests itself in arrogance, dismissiveness, rudeness, classism and fear. Notable products of this include several UK Prime Ministers.

This sounds utopian because it is. I want a utopia, and I want the true meaning of meritocracy.

Grace and courage.

Annetta Mother-Smith.