Western civilization is based on merit and it is based on being very competitive. (It's true in your mates, your social standing, your financial situation, etc) That's the reason for the improvement books.
This is one of the larger falsehoods I've read in a while.
It's based on money, connections, favors, historical precedent and power. And it's not the only one.
I'm just saying the West doesn't have positions that are based on how close you are to the king, family connections, caste, or other mystical reasons.
The funny thing that I've gotten in response is that people seem to believe that merit is only based on how your technical skills are. That's just one part of the job in the tech field.