Soft meritocracy is the ethical and practical alternative to strict meritocracy. Instead of chasing the illusion of “best” - a moving target shaped by bias and privilege, it asks what is sufficient to do the job effectively. Minimum criteria are easier to define and easier to apply fairly.
Soft meritocracy respects individuals as such, recognizing *natural* diversity as a strength. By building teams from common ground rather than through competition, privilege, or in-group bias, soft meritocracy fosters universal inclusion, with all the social legitimacy that implies, and also '“just works”.