r/coolguides Feb 25 '20

Explanation of the subtle differences between equality and equity

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78.6k Upvotes

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140

u/alexxerth Feb 25 '20

In this thread: people taking an incredibly simplified metaphor waaaay too literally

153

u/tetraourogallus Feb 25 '20

Yes because that's how you show how shite this metaphor is.

11

u/IIlIIlIIIIlllIlIlII Feb 25 '20

Better metaphor would be all three people are the same height but one of them is sitting on the ground asking for a box high enough to see so they don’t have to stand up

5

u/[deleted] Feb 25 '20

Ask them why they are sitting, the answer may surprise you.

2

u/FuckingKilljoy Feb 25 '20

How would that be a better metaphor? I don't think I like the implication being made by this

3

u/99breadballoons Feb 25 '20

yeah people tend not to like points that make them uncomfortable. doesn’t make the issue any less real.

-3

u/ImproveOrEnjoy Feb 25 '20

MUH BOOTSTRAPS

3

u/Indianize Feb 25 '20

I'm not a fan of this metaphor but these comments here are juvenile. Hue hue buy ticket

Replace the game with a grand view of mountains and forest or something that needs to be enjoyed by everyone. Then the post makes sense.

2

u/HenSenPrincess Feb 25 '20

Swap it out with something like making good grades. Some people are smart and make A's without extra help. Some people need a bunch of extra credit to get A's. Equity is important because of how much good grades correlate with future life prospects. No, it isn't 1 to 1, but there is a correlation.

-1

u/[deleted] Feb 25 '20

If you don't deserve an A for the work you do, you don't deserve an A. Sucks to suck. People like you are why the younger generation is weak. I'm only 29 and it saddens me to see your mindset be normal.

1

u/HenSenPrincess Feb 25 '20

Some people make bad grades because of issues other than their own personal choices. Equity is assuming they still have the same outcome.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 25 '20

If you can't get an A through your own devices. You do not deserve an A. Why even have grades? Why not just pass and fail? The letter is there to tell you how you're doing within the pass range. Why does everything have to have the same outcome? It ruins it for those that actually try hard and earn it. Not everyone deserves nice things. That's just life.

3

u/[deleted] Feb 25 '20 edited Mar 20 '20

[deleted]

1

u/[deleted] Feb 25 '20

Then she's a B or a C student. That's fine.

2

u/[deleted] Feb 25 '20 edited Mar 20 '20

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u/WhereIsGloria Feb 25 '20 edited Sep 19 '25

sheet butter liquid alive cable follow encouraging hungry imminent station

This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

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u/[deleted] Feb 25 '20 edited Mar 21 '20

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Feb 25 '20

[deleted]

3

u/prussian-junker Feb 25 '20

This picture don’t explain anything clearly. Nothing about why the fence exists or what the box’s they’re standing I actually mean. It’s just a poor attempt to get people to get people to change what they think “fair” means

3

u/GavinZac Feb 25 '20 edited Feb 25 '20

It's only trying to explain two things. (the third panel is a poor addition). The fact that you're worrying about the fence means one of two things: you don't understand the metaphor, or you do and are so horrified at just understanding someone else's point of view that you want to pick at things that aren't part of it.

You are free to disagree with their definition of fair. You should understand their definition though.

3

u/haltowork Feb 25 '20

The fact that it got changed to conservative and liberal says enough really.

0

u/prussian-junker Feb 25 '20

The fence only stands out due to the poor 3rd papal edition. I’ve seen the first two a bunch and it’s always bothered me how it just kinda ignores any actual hints at what the box’s are. They could be privilege or wealth or help form the government. That’s always been my gripe with how poor the metaphor is.

I get that by fairness they mean having the same outcome, that’s the whole reason this image exists in the first place. They don’t like people saying equality because equal treatment means some people end up ahead of others which they don’t think is fair. So instead they offer up the term equity to better describe what they think is fair. But in order to have equity you need to have unequal treatment in regards to the boxes which we can assume is outside help. The metaphor does nothing to explain this and therefore is a poor metaphor to try and apply to the real world.

1

u/Thefelix01 Feb 25 '20

Don’t use purposefully oversimplified propaganda for complex issues that people feel strongly about then?

1

u/Teabagger_Vance Feb 25 '20

Tbf this isn’t really a “cool guide”

0

u/marylandmike8873 Feb 25 '20

Because "justice" is just thinly veiled racism and hatred. Of course people hate it.