Being Human
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Human beings are different in their unique way. We have varied aspirations, goals, educational backgrounds, achievements, and physical features.
Additionally, people differ in their mental, emotional, and intellectual capacities. We are also born by different parents, and we boast varied backgrounds.
Some people are born into struggling or middle-class families. Others are born with a silver spoon or into wealthy families.
However, closing the gap between the rich and poor has been one of the major concerns of governments across the world. Politicians are making an effort to ensure the rich and poor in society are treated equally and fairly.
This post explains what equality and fairness mean. We encourage you to read from start to finish.
Difference Between Equality And fairness
Before we go deeper, including defining the meaning of equality and fairness, let’s quickly state their differences.
Equality means the same amount of something or a thing. It means giving people an equal amount of something, regardless of the circumstances.
Another way to describe equality is treating everyone the same way. In a workplace where equality exists, male and female employees get paid the same amount. The only thing that may cause some to earn higher is their experience and qualification, which the company would have boldly stated.
On the other hand, fairness means to give people according to what they deserve and need. If you want to treat people with fairness, it means you have to treat them in ways that best suit them.
Here is an example of fairness and equality. Equality means that everyone can apply for a job opening and have a chance to work with the company. But fairness means only the best candidates will be selected to fill the job opening.
However, the people behind the recruitment process would only be unfair if they chose their candidates based on skin color, height, beauty, connection, and other unprofessional and biased reasons.
So, that’s the difference between the terms, “equality” and “fairness.” But there’s more you need to know. Keep reading!
What Are Equality And Fairness?
In Old French, the word equality originated from “equalite,” which means evenness of something or uniformity.
In Latin, equality means the same thing. It originated from the word “aequalitatem,” which implies similarity or likeness.
Now, what’s the definition of equality? It refers to a state or situation where individuals or things have the same status, value, and quantity. No individual or thing is better than the other.
If an individual has a balanced economic, political and social status, as other individuals in a society, despite a massive difference in age, race, religion, culture, sex, and financial situation, equality is at play here.
In a workplace where there’s equality, employees of the same qualification and working in the same department receives the same salary, despite being different in age, race, sex, and religion.
Employees in such companies have equal rights. None is mandated to work more hours or undertake complex tasks because they belong to a particular race, age group, culture or religion.
Again, equality is backed by law, and it addresses unfair discrimination in society. It involves creating an enabling environment for everyone to have the same opportunities to actualize their true potentials.
What is fairness? Fairness exists where there’s no discrimination. People are viewed and treated equally.
In this case, there’s no favorite. If fairness exists in a workplace, employees will enjoy the same treatment, including getting the same workload, salary, and working conditions. None is overworked or treated poorly because of skin color, age, religion, or economic status.
If any employee receives higher pay, it won’t be because of their race or age, but other factors such as qualifications and experience.
A Pro Tip: People differ in their unique ways. Some individuals are born into a rich family, while some into a low-income family. Some people are more beautiful than others, and it’s the same thing in the area of intellectual capacity. Some are more intelligent than others.
So, society must offer everyone equal opportunities to thrive. Even though some might attain greater heights than the others, the major thing is ensuring that everyone has equal and fair opportunities.
Why We All Need To Be Fair To Others
We have defined fairness. Now, another question is, why do you think being fair is important?
If employers treat all employees with fairness, it might affect the company positively. It might cause the employees to feel loved and feel like they belong to the company, allowing them to use their potential to full capacity.
In a society where discrimination doesn’t exist and fairness thrives, people work and solve problems together with ease. Fairness also allows people to get along with ease and live with peace of mind.
Furthermore, if you’re fair to people, you’ll earn their respect. That’s how life is. So, allow fairness to thrive wherever you find yourself. Do so to enable people to have fun and do things with freedom.
A Pro Tip: Parents, be fair to all your children. Do not discriminate, as it doesn’t and won’t help your child become any better. Most people can quickly slip into depression when they start experiencing discrimination. So, be very careful of how you treat people.
So, make your children, spouse, relatives, colleagues, and neighbors feel comfortable wherever you are. Be fair to everyone.
Qualities Fair People Possesses
It’s easy to identify fair people by their actions. Here are traits fair people have. Watch out for them.
Fair people abide by rules:
Rules guide every recruitment process. Before the process even begins, employers or the top executives must have already noted the qualities incoming candidates must possess to be considered for the job opening.
If the person or people in charge of the recruitment are fair, they will surely abide by the rules. The individuals considered for the job must meet the requirements and be better than other candidates. Fair human resource managers won’t bend the rules to favor a candidate for their selfish interest.
In the same vein, if management is punishing employees for misconduct, everyone has to receive equal punishment. It’s not fair when some people got a month suspension while a few had a week suspension. It shows partiality and unfairness.
Fair people are open-minded:
Fair people are always open-minded. They accept everyone’s views and opinions and don’t discriminate. Fair people always like to treat anyone around them fairly. They are receptive to people and can get along with anyone with ease.
Fair people pass sound judgment:
Our world has a mix of biased and unbiased people. So, when expecting judgment from anyone during a conflict, expect everything. The person could pass a one-sided judgment that might favor you or the other individual. Such happens now and then.
However, passing sound judgment is the way of fair people. They detest favoritism and always say things the way they should be said. So, expect sound judgment from fair people.
Fair people are reasonable:
Fair people have this special trait that sets them apart. They have the mind of an angel and are ready to listen to complaints from other people. Fair people are reasonable, a trait that makes working with them a breeze.
People with such traits excel in their place of work. They also make others around them feel comfortable and loved.
Fair people are unbiased:
We have unbiased people in every sphere of life. There are even tons of them in workplaces. But fair people are the direct opposite. They like to be truthful and understand the consequences of being biased.
Since fair people are unbiased, people consider their views and judgments to be valid. Fair people don’t take sides. They’re always neutral and are ready to say the truth, regardless of the consequences.
How Can One Become Fair Minded?
It’s not so difficult to become a fair-minded person. The first thing you have to do is make up your mind. It would be best if you decided to be fair-minded all the time.
After deciding to be fair-minded, the next step is to understand what being fair is. You must be honest, unbiased, pass sound judgments, be rule-abiding, and be open-minded.
In addition, to understand what being fair means and how to become one, you need to research in-depth, read books about being fair-minded and learn from others. You can copy any fair-minded role model, if you like.
Conclusion
So, you have seen the difference between equality and fairness. Equality means to treat people equally, regardless of their desire or needs. But fairness means treating people according to what they deserve and need.
Regardless of their difference, equality and fairness are crucial ingredients in every successful society. Everyone in society should have equal opportunities to thrive.
Racism also undermines equality and fairness. It’s an enemy to equality and fairness. A racist won’t act unbiased or pass sound judgment. Instead, they prefer to consider race, religion, and other shocking features.
