Both admiring the power law curve (more commonly known now as "the long tail") and railing against "the tyranny" of it, an unnamed writer at The Econophysics Blog makes the case for becoming eclectic. Supporting a platonic ideal, she/he argues:
For instance, we can achieve a fairer and more meritocratic society by opening up legitimate opportunities for socio-economic advancement all along the long tail. Rather than "only 10 percent" of the students at so-called 'elite' universities coming "from the bottom half of the income scale" (i.e., where only 10% of the student body at prestigious universities reflect the working class and the poor in America), a larger proportion of the places at these schools should be opened to the talented but disadvantaged. Not only will this lead to a truly democratic society, it will also give us a more eclectic and imaginative set of leaders in policy making, business, and in academia. Having people in positions of power and influence from a more diverse set of circumstances than what we currently have will benefit all of us by opening up the possibility of more optimal decision making compared to what we can get from plutocratic groupthink or plutocratic autocracy.