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This is where some members of the elite commit their gravest mistake. After denouncing the doors that were closed to them, some people in turn close those very same doors once they reach the other side.
They adore their protégés. They are less fond of their successors. They appreciate their admirers. They sometimes fear their equals. Dependence guarantees recognition. Autonomy creates competition. And so a form of communal elitism can arise: a small group of prosperous people maintains its value precisely because its success remains exceptional.
The true revolution would be to emulate
Flashmag! Issue 176 September 2026
Now let’ s imagine a different ending to our story. Instead of giving Samuel a job, Michel gives him something more challenging. Every Saturday for six months, Samuel comes to his office. Michel shows him his first contracts. His tax mistakes. The business proposals he’ d missed out on. How he finds clients. How to calculate a margin. How to negotiate with a bank. How to hire. How to fire. How to save money when business is good. Samuel receives no favors. He receives a method. Three years later, he’ s running a small business with four employees. Five years later, there are eleven of them. And when his own cousin comes to ask him for a job he isn’ t qualified for, Samuel replies:“ I’ m not going to give you a position you can’ t handle. But come by on Saturday. I’ ll show you how to get started.” This is perhaps the most important cultural shift. Moving from:“ Who do you know?” to:“ What can you do?” From:“ What are you going to give us now that you’ ve succeeded?” to:“ What can you teach us so that we can succeed too?”
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