Why Mediocrity Is Cool?

Why mediocrity is cool and what can we learn from the previous generation about mediocrity.

 

You read it right; Mediocrity is not just fine but it’s cool as well!

 

Not listening to people around me, I did something unthinkable; I rejected a perfect career which an Engineering degree would’ve brought and chosen a mediocre career instead by pursuing a Bachelor of Arts course. So, yes, I have been told this many times that I gave up a perfect life and instead I chose a mediocre life.

 

Well, looking at my mediocre life and career now, I would say I have made good use of my mediocrity. I worked wherever I loved to, I train people across varied fields, and I write whatever I like. I am proud of being mediocre and so should you be.

 

Dad was a government employee, though business was always his passion but, as it was the custom those days, because of parental pressure, he gave up the idea of starting his own business and continued the same job for over 35 years.

 

He did something he never liked all his life so where is the learning here then? I mean where is the Motivation that I just talked about, you might ask?

 

You see, the fact that he worked for so long without liking whatever it is he was doing didn’t make him a loser.

 

In fact, he is my ‘superhero’ for doing this for such a long time because he had put his family first.

 

I wanted to highlight the part of his life that has always motivated me.

 

He always smiled and laughed while on the job and off of it too. Never heard him complain or crib.

 

He, sort of, made it a practice even to enjoy the thing he didn’t like and still excel at it.

 

His life reminds me of a quote by Amitabh Bachchan “Mann ka ho accha, naa ho toh zada accha (If things happen according to your wishes it is good, but if they don’t then it’s even better).”

 

You see, people of my Dad’s generation never got a chance to quit and pursue their passion, some had responsibilities while others might have lacked the resources.

 

So, does that make my Dad’s, and countless like him, life smaller or worthless compared to an Ambani or a Bill Gates or a Steve Jobs or an Edison or so many other people in business, scientists, and adventurers? You know the so-called successful people? HELL NO and a double HELL NO++

 

People of my dad’s generation and the countless before them dedicated their lives to their families and that makes their success absolutely ‘Super Duper’.

 

For them, their family was their greatest adventure and achievement, and they deserve our respect for this.

 

For all those who disagree with me, try looking at things from their (previous generation) perspective; for them, responsibility and commitment didn’t mean a ‘Limit’, but to them it meant freedom, it meant success, it meant discovery, it meant adventure, it meant happiness, it meant LIFE itself.

 

Probably that is the reason they were more satisfied with their lives than any of us will ever be.

 

Surely my generation and many afterwards have created new milestones and standards for success in every field, but then we will never be as content as my dad’s generation or as the previous ones were.

 

This dissatisfaction is evident by the increasing number of psychological problems and suicides, among the younger lot, the world over and not just in 3rd world countries but also in developed countries.

 

Surely they all lived a mediocre life but they are more satisfied then we ever will be.They made mediocrity look cool.

 

One thing we all can learn from the previous generation is that moving out of comfort zone doesn’t necessarily means giving up on your responsibilities; it’s in fact about strengthening your responsibilities and moving ahead towards whatever it is you are trying to achieve.

 

We have all been conditioned to despise mediocrity; be it in school or college (race to the top rather than actually learn something worthwhile) or afterwards in job or business.

 

Mediocrity is looked upon in our society as failure and perfection as a symbol of success.

 

Our first impressions have also been tuned in to judging everyone on the basis of appearance. Hence, anyone dressed inappropriately is considered unprofessional, unprepared, low on confidence and mediocre and not taken seriously. Time and again many people have proved that appearance has nothing to with success.

 

Do things differently, do different things, do mediocre things; but whatever you do, do it passionately.

 

So next time anyone tells you that you are mediocre then take that as a compliment and smile.