It's not an anger at helping others catch up, but an anger at pulling people back. We can help people who are behind without sacrificing the people who are already ahead.

To be fair, this is kind of impressed on people when so many are judged by the name of the school on their diploma or a score they received in the first quarter of their life. There's no guarantee a Harvard accepted child will have a happier life than someone "destined" to be a fast food cashier, but when we pressure young kids with so much judgment before they even experience life, it feels like a race from the start.

Couple this with the lack of class mobility and sometimes people feel participating in that race was the only way to control your future.

I'm sure it is the root of many social ills, but the alternative is the root of many more social ills. The competitive struggle is what drives people to be productive. Without that, people don't attempt very much. Attempts to level the playing field cause widespread corruption as people evade the restrictions on competition. The lack of productivity is then fixed by the use of force.

Sorry I don't want to live in Harrison Bergeron world.