The problem is, if you really believe in a society where those who merit to get to the top, get to the top, you'll also, by implication, and in a far more nasty way, believe in a society where those who deserve to get to the bottom also get to the bottom and stay there. I nother words, your position in life comes to seem not accidental, but merited and deserved. And that makes failure seem much more crushing.
The past is a cupboard full of light and all you have to do is find the key that opens the door.
True wisdom lies in acknowledging your limitations and striving to transcend them.