Favoritism Definition: When Gravity Picks a Favorite Human
Favoritism is the ancient practice of choosing one object of affection while glaring at all others like unwanted chairs. It appears in families, schools, and even in parking lots where one car always finds shade while others roast like potatoes.
At its core, favoritism is the belief that life is a pie and someone deserves the largest slice, even if they’ve never baked. It thrives in offices, where bosses grant promotions to nephews who still think “Excel” is a verb meaning “to try real hard.”
The paradox of favoritism is that everyone agrees it’s unfair, yet everyone secretly hopes to be the chosen spoon in the silverware drawer. Philosophers once debated if favoritism is natural, concluding only that Nature favors the peacock over the pigeon, the lion over the slug, and, most unfairly, the mosquito over everyone.
One must beware: favoritism corrodes trust faster than soup corrodes paper. It rewards loyalty with jealousy, punishes fairness with laughter, and often ends with someone throwing tomatoes, literal or metaphorical.
Examples:
– Teacher gives gold star to student who sneezes politely.
– Grandma always serves extra pie to the cousin who can burp the alphabet.
Synonyms: bias, partiality, preference, inequality, nepotism, special treatment, tilted affection
Etymology (Word History): From Latin favere, “to smile while ignoring the rest.”
