Day 15 – being average is okay.

I recently read an article by Mark Manson, titled, “In Defense of Being Average“. it starts like this:

“There’s this guy. World-renowned billionaire. Tech genius. Inventor and entrepreneur. Athletic and talented and handsome with a jaw so chiselled it looks like Zeus came down from Olympus and carved the fucker himself.”

Powerful don’t you think? Makes you want to keep reading. So I did.

By way of a bell curve, he explains how the majority of us are actually average at most things.

This is a bell curve for those who need a refresher (I drew this quickly, so excuse if it isn’t a piece of art):

You can apply a bell curve to any sector of a population e.g. those who are good at writing. Some, like Ernest Hemingway, are exceptional and will be in the top 20%, probably in the top 1%. Others will be terrible and in the lower 20%. And the majority? Well, they’re just average.

And that’s the reality, “We all have our own strengths and weaknesses”, Manson says. “But the fact is, most of us are pretty average at most things we do. Even if you’re truly exceptional at one thing — say math, or jump rope, or making money off the black gun market — chances are you’re pretty average or below average at most other things. That’s just the nature of life.”

Becoming exceptional requires dedication (assuming you have a level of talent, to begin with). Manson adds, “To become truly great at something, you have to dedicate time and energy to it. And because we all have limited time and energy, few of us ever become truly exceptional at more than one thing, if anything at all.”

But the sad thing is, it’s those top and low performers (extreme examples), that get the publicity. The media feeds us this information, left, right, and centre. Makes sense, because average isn’t exciting. Average doesn’t make for a noteworthy article. Average doesn’t draw eye-balls.

Unfortunately, this has created a new culture. Mansion highlights “…this flood of extreme information has conditioned us to believe that “exceptional” is the new normal. It’s an accepted part of our culture today to believe that we are all destined to do something truly extraordinary. Celebrities say it. Business tycoons say it. Politicians say it. Even Oprah says it. Each and every one of us can be extraordinary. We all deserve greatness.”

But if everyone is extraordinary or destined to be extraordinary, then no one actually is, right? Yet we continue to believe we’re all extraordinary and that being in the middle is bad. According to new norms, If you’re there, you’re failing at life. “So, we must compensate”, Manson says.  “Some of us do this by cooking up get-rich-quick schemes. Others do it by taking off across the world to save starving babies in Africa. Others do it by excelling in school and winning every award.”

Why do we do this?

We’re afraid to accept mediocrity. We feel that if we accept being average, we won’t achieve anything, we won’t improve, and our lives don’t matter. The problem with this type of thinking is that we’re basically saying everyone else is worthless.

But, Manson argues that greatness stems from the acceptance of mediocrity. “The people who become truly exceptional at something do so not because they believe they’re exceptional”, Manson remarks. “On the contrary, they become amazing because they are obsessed with improvement. And that obsession with improvement stems from an unerring belief that they are, in fact, not that great at all. That they are mediocre. That they are average. And that they can be so much better.”

Once you accept the fact that you’re actually average, a huge pressure is lifted. “The stress and anxiety of feeling inadequate will dissipate”, Manson says. “And the knowledge and acceptance of your own mundane existence will actually free you to accomplish what you truly wish to accomplish with no judgments and no lofty expectations.”

** If you hadn’t guessed it, the guy Manson was refering to in the first paragraph was Bruce Wayne.

If you enjoy writing and are serious about improving your writing skills, becoming a freelance writer, and want to earn more, I can help! Feel free to email me at nick@nickdarlington.com.

P.S. No, I’m not selling you anything. I’m not going to ask you to buy my book or even sign up for my course (I don’t have one) or weekly newsletter, I’m simply offering you help.

But remember while I can offer you assistance and support, you have to put in the work. No action = No results.

Cheers

Nick D