Fairness in the Studio: Why We Don’t Try to Make Things “Fair”

Fairness in the Studio: Why We Don’t Try to Make Things “Fair” at Invictus: An Acton Academy

At first glance, it may sound strange, maybe even wrong, to say this:

At an Acton Academy, we are not trying to engineer perfect balance, equal outcomes, or uniform accountability. Life doesn’t work that way, and pretending otherwise would do our learners a disservice.

Instead, our goal is something far more demanding:
 to empower young heroes to recognize unfairness and act courageously in response to it.

That distinction matters.

Recently in our Elementary Studio, we noticed a pattern that invited reflection. In a mixed-age group of learners (ages 7–12), accountability for guardrail and contract violations was being applied unevenly.

One learner, new to the studio, had a challenging first few weeks that included more aggressive and extreme behaviors as he learned the studio guardrails and contract. Although those behaviors have largely diminished, the first impressions formed during that time appear to continue shaping how peers hold him accountable. As a result, he is sometimes being called to account more frequently than others for similar guardrail and contract violations.

It would have been easy to step in and “fix” this.
 To equalize consequences.
 To correct the imbalance ourselves.

But that would have sent the wrong message.

When a learner feels they are being treated unfairly, the instinct, especially as adults, is to rescue.

But at Acton, we work from a different principle:
 empower heroes; don’t rescue victims.

If guides rush in to restore fairness, we unintentionally teach learners that:

Instead, we want learners to practice something harder and far more valuable:
 agency.

If a hero feels accountability is uneven, the work is not to absorb that injustice silently, nor to wear the label of “victim,” but to ask:

Unfairness, in this sense, is not something we eliminate; it is something we train for.

The Guide’s Responsibility: Protect Safety, Not Outcomes

This is where the guide’s role becomes both subtle and critical.

Guides are not responsible for ensuring that accountability feels fair to everyone at all times. That would require constant intervention, and constant intervention leads to control.

What guides are responsible for is this:

When guardrails are not being broken—especially around intentional harm—it is not the guide’s job to correct every perceived imbalance. It is the learner’s opportunity to grow.

When Authority Becomes the Risk

One of the most sobering reminders comes from Lord Acton when he stated:

Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

When guides step in too often, especially to “fix” fairness, we risk abusing authority, even with the best intentions. We risk teaching learners that justice comes from power rather than courage.

Humility is essential. Guides must remain curious enough to admit:

That self-awareness protects the studio far more than control ever could.

The Bigger Lesson

At Acton, we are not preparing learners for a fair world, which does not exist.

We are preparing them for a real one.

A world where systems are imperfect.
 Where power and authority  must be questioned.
 Where courage matters more than comfort.

If our learners leave us knowing how to recognize unfairness and how to respond with courage and without playing into victimhood, then we have succeeded.

Even when it’s uncomfortable.
Especially when it’s uncomfortable.