If each person is free to develop and apply his or her talents to the greatest extent possible, then both the individual and the economy benefit. Although we Americans strive to provide equality of economic opportunity, we do not guarantee equality of economic outcomes, nor should we.
Indeed, without the possibility of unequal outcomes tied to differences in effort and skill, the economic incentive for productive behavior would be eliminated, and our market-based economy – which encourages productive activity primarily through the promise of financial reward – would function far less effectively.