Unpopular opinion: Mediocrity is acceptable

The constant debate between wanting something and not getting it, and not wanting something but being forced into it is a never ending one. While some people want an exciting life where life surprises them everyday, some other people want an average life where life throws no surprises at them. Who is wrong here? Or does even the question of being right arise in this case? This is where a discussion on mediocrity comes into picture. The etymology will make things clear. Mediocre comes from the Latin words “Medius” and “Ocris”, which mean “middle” and “rugged mountain” respectively. So, to put it literally, mediocre means being in the middle of a rugged mountain. It is a state of compromise between the desire to succeed and the tendency to settle on the most comfortable option. It essentially means someone who excels at the job they are doing which accounts for their drive to succeed, but is happy with replicating the same success everyday which accounts for their tendency for comfort. Being mediocre is in no way being average, good, or bad in life. It is a way of life and must be accepted for it being an option for some people.

I recently read a post about someone wanting to be a secretary by choice and staying satisfied with the job by will. Somehow, nobody really wants to accept this possibility of someone being happy with a mediocre life. Is it necessary for us to do something out of the ordinary or aim at the top in order to lead a happy life? In fact, nobody will agree to this right now. But if one day, your son, daughter, sibling or cousin want to be a secretary or do a clerical job, you would be the first one to object because you still hold on to the notion that a small job is only taken up unhappily, forced by the constraints of life. But people are happy with mundane jobs. Surely there are people who want to do something exciting in their lives and I am one of those people. But it doesn’t imply that everyone’s mind is wired that way. There are people who are happy leading simple lives with no surprises every single day.

At this point, I am not even going into the debate of a government job vs private job. This discussion varies by country, mindset, social class, personal circumstances etc. My point is generic. Mediocrity should never be looked down upon. It belongs to a particular mindset, and we are nobody to take that away from people having that mindset. It is aimed at kids berating their parents because they do not want to be stuck in a mundane job, only because they see their parents doing it happily. And it is also aimed at parents berating their kids to be in the 90-100% scoring bracket despite knowing their study pattern. I have always been an eighty percenter. I still made it to my doctorate in physics. At the same time, an eighty percenter friend of mine made it to a 9 to 5 desk job and is happy with it. We grew from the same atmosphere but stemmed in opposite directions, but both are happy with our jobs.

Being in a mediocre job or life is in no way a reflection of your mental growth. One’s mental growth is their own, while their job is dependent on several real world factors as well. I may have an excellent mental maturity and live an exciting life with a job that hands me something new to work with everyday. Or I might be a person who has given up on mental advancement, while doing the same exciting job. Similarly people can have a mundane job, but still be on an advanced intellectual level, or give up on their intellectual growth. So whatever job you do is not a reflection of your intellect. But surely your intellect can leave an impression on your job. Either way, they are independent of each other when placed on the same pedestal of comparison.

I feel that the negative connotation that being mediocre has earned comes from the notion that nobody remembers a mediocre person. We remember the best tennis players, best entrepreneurs, best scientists, even the best delivery persons. We also remember some who are bad at their jobs. But we don’t really remember a regular sportsperson, scientist, customer attendant etc. This is something that people use to vote against the mediocre way of life. But is it really that bad? I don’t think so. Some people simply don’t want to be bothered with a title of being the best or worst. They simply want to do their thing without intervention or mention. I know and remember people who lead happy mediocre lives, but are great people at heart. They are happy being remembered by their loved ones, and do not need the validation of being known at their jobs. Wouldn’t it be inconsiderate on our part to judge these people on their choice of life only because they are happy being mediocre?

Let us accept the fact that not everyone is the sharp eagle. Some are mediocre pigeons. So, the takeaway here is to stop comparing apples to oranges, and keep your nose out of others life decisions. Aim for the stars only when you have the possibility of reaching there. Otherwise you may fall hard if you force beyond capability. Instead, start with aiming for the tree top. You may be able to make the climb. Point to ponder?

Be inspired! Be satisfied! Be Priyafied!