Meritocratic individualism works as a tunnel in which there is, ultimately, a high risk to get stuck. Three entrapments are discussed. First, it encourages the individual person to be exclusively self-oriented, without being other-oriented. Second, meritocratic individualism flourishes in a society in which many domains of life are, to a higher degree than ever before, commercialized. Third, in such society, individual success is defined in isolation from the welfare and survival of nature and the earth. As a response to these three entrapments, three ways of finding a breakthrough are sketched: (a) the other is linked to one’s own success to such a degree that working on the success of the other person is working in favor of one’s own success; (b) as long as they are not penetrated and transformed by commercial purposes and values, different life domains (e.g., health, education, intimate relationships) have their own specific and unique value; (c) instead of standing above nature and exploiting it in the service of our needs, we are located in a “double position” regarding nature and the earth. We are part of it and, at the same time, function as stewards, responsible for its protection and survival. In the long run, our personal success depends on the “survival success” of nature and the earth.