What does it mean for life to be fair?

You’ve probably said it, or at least thought it, and for sure, you’ve heard other people say, life’s not fair.

But what does it mean for life to be fair?

For life to be fair, does it mean life should be equal for everyone?

It doesn’t take but a minute of thinking to conclude that’s not possible. To be clear, I’m not suggesting that there shouldn’t be opportunities for those that seek them. Still, even with opportunities present, people will succeed at different levels based on their abilities.

As children, we’re taught about being fair by sharing or in the way we treat others, which are both wonderful lessons and qualities to have. But with that lesson comes a downside, a belief that you will also be treated fairly, which as an adult, you realize is not always true.

The biggest problem with the idea of life being fair, is fair to whom? Fairness is based on an individual’s idea of what is right and wrong. It’s based on how life should be based on personal beliefs and values. And with the current world population at nine billion-ish and counting, that’s a lot of ideas about what’s fair and what’s not.

So, at the risk of sounding pessimistic, which I’m not, I do want to recommend that the sooner you can accept that life isn’t fair, emotionally speaking, the better off you’ll be. You’ll be more adept at handling the peaks and, more important, the valleys that you’ll inevitably experience in life. And, when things in life aren’t working for you or not going as planned, you won’t resort to asking why life isn’t fair. Because you’ll know that idea of life being fair is just an idea, a mirage.

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