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How to overcome mediocrity?
"Do you know what lies at the bottom of the mainstream? Mediocrity."
Death in Venice, Thomas Mann
Mediocre: Ordinary; not extraordinary; not special, exceptional, or great; of medium quality;
How to bring people out of mediocrity?
Why do people feel attracted to mediocrity?
Where does extraordinary ideas come from?
How does mediocrity affect our lives?
What are the things that can help us find those areas of interest and what can help us explore and go from ordinary to extraordinary?
How is mediocrity related to happiness?
Topics:
Mediocre art business creativity education future innovation
Duane Byron Carlson
Best ofluck. Sorry that I do not seak portugese.
Audios
Lee Wilkinson 20+
http://www.ted.com/talks/dave_meslin_the_antidote_to_apathy.html
Nicholas Lukowiak 50+
Mark Meijer 100+
I already posted these links in another conversation about education, but I think it's relevant here too. Especially in part 2, in this interview, Isaac Asimov touches on things that I think will take people out of mediocrity. It boils down to, in his words, following your own bent.
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CwUuU6C4pk
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJAIERgWhZQ
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEHtt5sGbTw
Btw. note that I do agree with his opinion about charlatans in mysticism, but I also think there are some key lessons from mysticism that are relevant here as well. In fact much of my previous answers here about broadening your perspective and seeing multiple different aspects simultaneously, are very much related to the very down-to-earth heart of mysticism, once you dispense with the nonsensical vagueness around it (which admittedly represents a large part of it, and that's sad). Here's someone who I think has a more realistic take on it, for anyone interested:
http://markmeijer.blogspot.com/2011/01/quoting-alan-watts.html
In short, as said, the idea of mediocrity necessarily represents a narrow perspective. The antidote is to broaden perspective. Isaac Asimov mentions mysticism as something bad. So with the help of that Alan Watts quote, I'd rather mention it now as essentially equivalent to broadening your perspective. Hope I'm making sense.
Lee Wilkinson 20+
Mark Meijer 100+
Lucas Avelleda 500+
Starting with your first paragraph, I think we face a paradox when we want everybody to become extraordinary, don't we?
About your first answer, I wonder why society stigmatizes differences in people and how to make it stop doing so. I don't know if you're familiarized with Democratic Education (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_education). This system basically allows students to choose what they want to learn. In my opinion, it's a good way to be who you are and be happy on what you're doing. It's also an excellent way to become extraordinary, I think.
I woud like you to explain why do you think that extraordinary ideas comes from ordinary people. That sounds like a very interesting point to me.
Mark Meijer 100+
And these are just vague and broad sweeping global norms, and some may be trivial or meaningless (in some view), others less so (in some view). But for example, whether people are surprised about a white president or a black president, depends on what continent you're on. Local norms tend to be more specific than global ones.
From time to time, certain attributes meet certain circumstances and result in spectacular achievements. More accurately, those attributes are themselves circumstances, and results of other circumstances. Who gets the credit? And who or what is responsible for all those circumstances? What makes something or someone extraordinary? I don't know. It's not a simple answer, there's no hard line, and it depends hugely on perspective.
Then again, what is "the norm"? What is ordinary? What is mediocre? Is it some set of values within a certain mathematically appropriate range? What is it that makes this particular range so important in reality (not in mathematics)? What is it that makes this particular set of values so important? What values are included and what values aren't, and why? Whatever the answers, it sounds to me like a matter of statistics and paperwork and judgement calls, that are all ultimately arbitrary.
Mark Meijer 100+
That's also why I suggested that extraordinary ideas come from ordinary people. Again, not an absolute. But in some sense, everyone is just an ordinary human being. One could say that someone with an extraordinary idea is an extraordinary human being. But when did that happen? Was he already extraordinary before he got the idea? If so, then who is not extraordinary? If not, then again, what is it exactly that makes anyone extraordinary?
Maybe you know the expression "a hero is an ordinary person in an extraordinary situation", or something like that. Is it even a person who can be ordinary or extraordinary, or is it merely circumstances? As Alan Watts would point out, they are inseparable. Again it's a matter of perspective (different angles, different aspects, etc), and I think all are equally valid at the same time.
Btw. I didn't know about that wikipedia article, thanks. Looks interesting.
Mark Meijer 100+
- How does mediocrity affect our lives? See previous question. In mathematics it's called an "attractor". What we call mediocrity is simply a range of common states around which most of us see ourselves end up. Emphasis on "see ourselves", because really it's only a matter of perception, just like mediocrity is itself a matter of perception (and a rather limited one). Nobody is mediocre in every conceivable sense, and everybody is mediocre in some sense. So how does it affect our lives? It doesn't, only our limited perception of it does. It makes us think and do things when it really shouldn't. See also question about happiness.
- What are the things that can help us find those areas of interest and what can help us explore and go from ordinary to extraordinary? See other questions.
- How is mediocrity related to happiness? Only via our self-made conceptual framework. If you believe that you're mediocre in whatever way, and you believe that is reason to be unhappy, you will feel unhappy, and you will only see yourself in those ways which you think make you mediocre, which will keep making you feel unhappy. In other words, we make ourselves feel unhappy with our own selective thoughts. Good news is, we don't have to. Broaden your perspective and re-evaluate your definitions. Try to find different aspects in everything, including yourself. Try to see different angles, and know that they are not mutually exclusive. Catch yourself when you're using your thoughts and concepts and fixed viewpoints to make yourself feel bad (or happy for that matter, be real and use that realism to your advantage, confront yourself and shed your fears).
Mark Meijer 100+
What is mediocre now hasn't always been mediocre, and won't always be mediocre. If everyone were somehow extraordinary, then that would be the new mediocre. In that sense, everyone already is extraordinary. But as Fernando also mentioned, we give it all up for a sense of belonging to a larger group. Nothing wrong with belonging somewhere, but something wrong with it being a compulsion, and also something wrong with wanting to belong to a group that demands you give up your own nature.
- How to bring people out of mediocrity? People seek refuge in mediocrity because, so long as they appear to be the same as "everyone else", it decreases the chance of becoming an outcast. So, firstly, stop stigmatising differences in people. Secondly, stop being afraid. Seeking refuge in mediocrity will only increase your fear of becoming an outcast. In some sense, everybody belongs somewhere, but in another sense everybody is an outcast at some point. Being afraid of it will not help. With these two things, maybe people will feel more free to be as they are. Extraordinary.
- Why do people feel attracted to mediocrity? See previous question. Aside from refuge, it also has an element of self-pity. "Why would I be anything extraordinary?" Of course then they compare themselves to someone who they see as extraordinary in some sense, and then they want to be extraordinary in just that sense, instead of coming to terms with who they themselves really are. Naturally, the way you yourself are, you don't tend to think of as extraordinary.
- Where does extraordinary ideas come from? From ordinary people.
fernando mora
i think this may answer your second question...
and i think the only way of stop being mediocre is for people to do what they are happy doing with people who are also happy doing that and doing it because they want to i guess like a university for kids in witch they would explore what they like since the beginning and devote their lives to their passion and have a job as soon as they leave ...
its really a complicated matter you know how to know what can a person be extraordinary at its the key if this comes in the genes maybe that way ... i think for starters we should divide schools in art phisical education and ciences and let people combine stuff into what they want maybe like that and not sufocating the kids with grades just like learn what you want ... just thoughts saludos
Lucas Avelleda 500+
By reading what you wrote, I think we can conclude that we're happier when we're not ordinary, even though we have to stop belonging to a "group" or society. Here's why:
- Are you happy belonging to a group where you're you're not happy on the things you are doing? Don't you prefer to do things that you like and that you're passionate about? Is it worthy to stay in this group or change to another one, where you can do the things that you really want? Is the "sacrifice" that you mentioned really worthy? (take a look on Mark's first topic). I think that when you can't express yourself the way you want you're not going to be happy. The thing is to look for people and groups that have the same "nature" as you.
- I agree with you that one of the best ways to move from mediocrity to extraordinary is by doing what you like with the people you're happy with. That's an excellent point, Fernando! I think that sharing ideas is one of the best ways to discover things you're very interested and also to find people who have ideas related to yours.
About this "university for kids" that you mentioned, did you know that there's a school in Portugal where students are given the right and responsibility to choose what to do with their time and attention? It's called "Escola da Ponte" I suggest you to take a look at this link to understand it better: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_education
Tell me what you think about it after reading!
Saludos!
Helen Hupe 30+
Julian Blanco 30+
Nice topic, I think mediocrity is part of the life for most of us (if not all of us).
It’s hard for me to imagine someone that is extraordinary in all aspects of life, mediocrity is a large part of our life (you buy clothes at the same store, brush your teeth, take showers, have a car, use a cell phone, sleep at night, etc) what I mean is that most of our life’s are mediocre (or normal or standard) but people (not all) have the ability to focus on something they are interested and do something different / extraordinary (while being mediocre in the rest of the areas).
So the question should be what are the things that can help us find those areas of interest and what can help us explore and go from ordinary to extraordinary.
Regards!
JB
Lucas Avelleda 500+
I agree with you (and Thomas Mann), mediocrity is part of the life of most of us, however, if we can't stop being mediocre in all aspects of life, what are the aspects on which we should not be mediocre?
Do you think that mediocrity is somehow related to happiness? Because I agree that when we find areas of our interests we are more likely to go from ordinary to extraordinary. Extraordinary people do things that they like, so they should be happier, don't they?
A good way to find areas of interest would be sharing ideas and being open minded, to learn and try new things. I discovered my passion, Karate, by accident when I was 6 years old, but I think this is not the best way to find our areas of interest.
Julian Blanco 30+
I believe it can be any aspect that the person finds relevant, from politics, to tasting all different types of coffee to homeschooling their kids, etc. having a rule on what should be is bad for the process.
Happiness is a whole different discussion, I don’t know if there is a link and it depends on what you consider happiness to be. From my perspective, if you spend more time doing something you enjoy, then you should be happier, but again you could easily argue against that.
I don’t have a cool example like Karate, but I can say I’m good at board games if that counts…
Regards!
JB
Prabhakar Krishnamurthy
Lucas Avelleda 500+
I think that society needs to reach a point where most people have the ability to analyze events and ideas from different perspectives. This way, we'll have more creative people, with many different ideas and preferences. If by being creative and different we're being extraordinary, I don't think extraordinary will become mediocre, but now that you mentioned I'm not so sure about it. What do you think?