Well, I also think people really like that idea of meritocracy when it means history suggests people like them have more merit than everybody else. Overrepresentation in elite spaces becomes evidence of superiority. It’s hard to convince them to give that up.
Weirdly, it reminds me of the resistance to evidence that weight is a complex thing and not a straightforward issue of self-discipline. There are people who have always assumed their bodies are evidence of their good character. “No, much of that is luck” doesn’t always go over well.
You should see the shrieking when you reduce the % of dead white guys on orchestra or chamber music programs. I mean, 10% of performances should not be by one guy, 30% should not be by the same ten guys
