Equal opportunity is a principle that advocates for fair treatment of all individuals, free from artificial barriers or biases, except where specific distinctions can be justified explicitly. The goal of this concept, often intricate and debated, is to ensure that significant roles are assigned to the “most qualified” individuals—those most likely to excel in a given task—rather than based on arbitrary or irrelevant factors such as birth circumstances, upbringing, personal connections, religion, gender, ethnicity, race, caste, or involuntary characteristics like disability, age. Opportunities for advancement should be accessible to all who are interested, providing “an equal chance to compete within the established goals and rules.” The aim is to eliminate randomness in selection processes and instead base decisions on a “pre-agreed upon standard of fairness,” with evaluations aligned with the requirements of the role, emphasizing procedural and legal frameworks. Success or failure should hinge on personal merit rather than external factors such as familial connections. This principle opposes nepotism and contributes to the perceived legitimacy of a social structure.