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Thread: dispense btrains and ability/meaning?

  1. #1
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    Default dispense btrains and ability/meaning?

    Hi
    Could you kindly help me get the meaning of this sentence?

    The fact is that nature dispenses brains and ability with a total disregard for the principle of equality.

    Does it mean that "willy-nilly you don't see any trace of equality and peoples are treated based on their abilities and skills, it wants to highlight meritocracy".

    By the way, does dispense here mean administer?

    Thanks a lot.
    Being a non-native teacher, I'm so thrilled being in such a superb forum.

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    Default Re: dispense btrains and ability/meaning?

    Quote Originally Posted by moonlike View Post
    Hi
    Could you kindly help me get the meaning of this sentence?

    The fact is that nature dispenses brains and ability with a total disregard for the principle of equality.

    Does it mean that "willy-nilly you don't see any trace of equality and peoples are treated based on their abilities and skills, it wants to highlight meritocracy".

    By the way, does dispense here mean administer?

    Thanks a lot.
    Dispense means 'hand out', 'give out'. Brains means intelligence.
    Nature hands out intelligence and talent/ability with no regard for equality. Nature doesn't care about human equality.
    It says nothing about meritocracies, which nature is even less interested in.
    moonlike, Rover_KE and emsr2d2 like this.

  3. #3
    Gillnetter is offline Senior Member
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    Default Re: dispense btrains and ability/meaning?

    Quote Originally Posted by moonlike View Post
    Hi
    Could you kindly help me get the meaning of this sentence?

    The fact is that nature dispenses brains and ability with a total disregard for the principle of equality.

    Does it mean that "willy-nilly you don't see any trace of equality and peoples ​people are treated based on their abilities and skills, it wants to highlight meritocracy".

    By the way, does dispense here mean administer?

    Thanks a lot.
    To dispense is to give. Nature gives brains and ability. Nature does not give these things based on some system of equal treatment. Nature seems to give these things more or less random - you get them, she gets them, but...he, the man in the corner, doesn't get them. A principal of equality would indicate that brains and ability would be apportioned out by the usage of some system where everyone would have at least an equal chance of being smart or having talent. Nature is not confined by such rules. A person born in the jungles of the Amazon may be born very intelligent and with the ability to learn languages easily, while a person born to a rich couple in London may be lacking in both intelligence and any apparent ability.
    moonlike and Rover_KE like this.

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