I was travelling in this bus a few days back and I had this chance to listen in on a conversation between a mother and her son. The conversation went something like this-
“Beta, the only people who succeed in life are those who are extraordinary. So you should also try to become extraordinary and one-of-a-kind.”
“But Amma, what will happen if I’m not extraordinary?”
“Then you’ll be just an average boy and average boys don’t become successful in life. Being average is just as bad as being a failure. So you should always try to become exemplary in whatever you do.”
Now this conversation struck a chord with me. It got me thinking, “If everyone is extraordinary, then by definition, no one is extraordinary.” Quite fascinating, isn’t it? You see, our culture has drilled a misconception into our minds. Our society believes that being average is probably the worst thing you can achieve in your life. It is believed that if you are labelled as just another average guy, it means that you have done nothing worthwhile in your life. Let me just ask a simple question. What’s so wrong with being mediocre?
Ever since the advent of time, mankind has always felt the need to chalk up stories about beings who are more proficient than them. Whether it’s an extraterrestrial creature flying around wearing nothing but a blue spandex and red underwear or a knight of honor slaying the mighty dragon and saving the damsel in distress, there has always been a proficient character worth looking up to. These stories then turn into legends and myths and are then fed to upcoming generations hoping that they’ll learn from these stories and become successful in life. This is not something that our generation has cooked up. No, this is an ancient practice, one that most likely will continue on for future generations. Mankind has always felt the need to look up to a more exemplary figure. We have always felt the need to reimagine ourselves in the image of these fictions. And this has destroyed our sense of right and wrong.
While I was doing research for this particular article, I happened to stumble upon a very intriguing fact. It stated that, at any given instant of time, only a handful of people, say 1000 (give or take), has the ability to exert their influence in any earth shattering decisions. Let me just say that there are more than 7 billion people on this planet. Now if this statement is right, then the rest of us have no contributions whatsoever to the way the world will change in the foreseeable future. It means that no matter what we do, it probably won’t make a difference in the long run. Now that is disappointing as well as depressing.
Another interesting theory that I read stated that the population is generally divided into 3 categories. The elite, which make up for 20% of the population, the poor performers, which make up for another 20% and then the average performers, which make up for the remaining 40%. If we go by this theory, then we can safely assume that the majority of the population belong to the middle of the curve and is probably average at what they do. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. Psychologists have actually said that if you are exemplary in any one field, say arithmetic’s or sports, then there’s a huge probability that you’ll be average in pretty much everything else. Most of us choose to ignore this discovery and ruin our lives going on a wild goose hunt.
Most of us are mediocre at their best. We might not accept it, but that’s the harsh truth. It’s the extremes that always gets the spotlight and limelight. We all know this but we hardly ever think about this. Chances are that most of us will not be exceptional in any single field. And that’s entirely fine.
So far I’ve laid out several theories and facts. And all these statements scream out just one bitter truth – It’s perfectly fine to be average. Being mediocre doesn’t make you a failure. Why can’t you be average and at the same time accomplish something great in your life? Throughout our life we have been fed the same self-contradictory lie – we are all meant to be extraordinary. We all deserve greatness. We are part of something much bigger than us. We are destined to achieve glory and honor. And it is this lie which has seeped into our hearts and spread the fear of accepting the truth, the truth that we are all but extraordinary.
We fear that the moment we accept the truth, we will lose all our motivation and we’ll probably fail in life. And this is not your fault. We have been thought to think this way. The fear of being average has been implanted into our hearts. And overcoming this fear is no easy task. Those who truly succeed in life do so because they’ve already come in terms with the truth. And just because they learned to accept the truth, they are able to strive for success. It is their hunger for improvement that keeps them at the top of the ladder. Just because they have learned to accept the fact that they’re average, they’re able to see the world in whole new perspective.
Being average is fine. Most of us spend our entire lives in fear of being mediocre and this fear, in turn, ends up ruining our lives. The moment you give up is the moment you become a failure. The only way to achieve something in life is by hard work, sweat and determination. As long as you don’t lose sight of what’s important, you’re sure to get what you deserve. We can’t all be Einstein or Lionel Messi. And that’s perfectly fine. So be average and proud.
