Merit as deservedness and merit as competence or sufficient knowledge can overlap—e.g., someone who worked hard to become competent may be seen as both deserving and capable—but they can also pull apart. A person might deserve something for moral reasons (e.g., reparations), even if they aren’t "qualified" in a technical sense. Or someone might be highly competent but undeserving (e.g. if they gained their knowledge through exploitation or betrayal).