Jobs distinguishes between equality of opportunity and equality of outcome. He argues that people should have a fair chance to develop their abilities and pursue their goals, while accepting that differences in choices, circumstances and results will remain. In this view, fairness does not require everyone to reach the same destination, but it does require meaningful access to the means of advancement.

He identifies education as the most important foundation for that opportunity. A strong education can provide knowledge, skills and confidence, while widening the range of choices available to an individual. The quote therefore links educational quality with broader questions of social mobility and fairness. It also reflects a familiar debate in public policy: whether societies should focus primarily on ensuring comparable starting opportunities or on reducing inequalities in final outcomes. Jobs places his emphasis firmly on the former, with education presented as the principal mechanism for making opportunity more widely available.