One hundred people stand at the base of one of the world’s tallest mountains. They have all been given equal access to the trail heads. No one is getting blocked. Yet, even before the climb begins, more than a few of them suspect they will never reach the peak. Some folks are simply better suited for mountain climbing. They have the legs and lungs for it.

Indeed, they have history and data to support their suspicions. On average, left to their own devices, sixty percent only get one third of the way up, fifty percent reach the midpoint, and thirty percent reach the two thirds mark. Above that point, pickings get increasingly slim. And who reaches the peak? As it turns out, only one percent.

Many of them decide this is OK. The views from the top are fantastic, but so are the views from other parts of the mountain — maybe not so spectacular, but enjoyable at warmer temperatures. They accept their lot and decide that life is fine even if just halfway up the mountain. Maybe doing the extra work that it takes to reach the top isn’t worth it, all things considered.

Besides, if too many folks went to the top, it would get crowded. There is only so much space up there for people to stand on. By comparison, accessible real estate abounds lower down the mountain.

Others do put in extra work. They exercise harder, train purposefully for the climb, and watch what they eat. Improved fitness will get them closer to the top. Still others discover that an oxygen tank helps with breathing at high altitudes. This comes with a financial cost and a heavier load to carry, but they assume the added burden and push on. A few of them do quite well, reaching new heights for their efforts. A minority of them get to stand on that peak after all.

But for a small yet not insignificant group, all this just seems unfair. They bemoan the injustice of it all. Why should they get stuck at the bottom of the mountain? Doesn’t everyone have a right to enjoy those amazing peak views?

They scheme to correct this inequity. The first idea? Flatten the mountain. Bring it all down, and they all get to that peak. “We are all equal now,” they dream of saying as they stand on the rubble.

Then, some of them realize: if they did that, there would be no peak upon which they could stand.

They revise their thinking and come up with a brand new winning idea. Push some at the top — maybe all of them! — down. Force them to never reach the peak. Yet others, building on this new winning idea, suggest pulling those at the bottom all the way to the top. For extra credit, the peak dwellers should do the majority of the pulling. Never mind the expense and logistical challenges this represents.

Soon, disagreement breaks out all over the mountain. Much bickering, finger pointing, and even rock throwing infects every slope. It turns out those between one third and two thirds of the mountain, the largest group, decide they have a lot to lose. They like it where they are, not so far from the top that they can’t reach for it, but not so far down with those bottom dwellers. They are the ones — with some suggestions and encouragement from the peak dwellers — that put up the biggest fight.

The bottom dwellers get wise to this. “Tell the middle dwellers that they too should get a special push to the top.”

The middle dwellers, somewhat suspiciously, say, “Hmm, that sounds good.” And they like the push. It takes them a little higher, even if every once in a while mudslides and avalanches shove them back down. Soon they are the ones benefiting most from the extra lift. They like this so much, they make sure they get most of the altitude gain— at the expense of the bottom dwellers.

And once again the bottom dwellers start grumbling, “Let us level the mountain.”

For a less fictional treatment of equality, read my prior essay.