Embracing a life of mediocrity | Crispin Thurlow | TEDxBasel

It’s hard to accept life in the middle when the relentless language of superiority and comparison tells us we should always be the best or just better. Might the answer lie partly in rethinking mediocrity and perhaps even learning to embrace it?

[karync.]

Being OK with being average is a far less stressful mindset than perfectionism! Bravo!

[stevend]

"It takes courage to be ordinary". Wow that's profound.

[kaydi]

This is such a meaningful message. Words are as slippery as they are powerful. “Mediocre, ” “elite, ” and “premium” are just some examples of words that encourage comparison and make us feel like we need to strive for more. Generally I think mediocre means “not good enough, ” but on hearing this talk, I realized that it also means that there actually is “good” just “not enough” when compared with something else.

I don’t think this talk is saying that we shouldn’t strive for more if we truly want more than we have, but instead I think it is encouraging us to appreciate what we have and who we are even if what we have and who we are is not the best. So much of language influences how we think about ourselves and our lives, particularly words that encourage comparison. We can legitimately choose contentment by mindfully considering what we find satisfactory without comparison to something more or less.

[darinherrick]

It’s more important to be a good person than a “successful” one.

[madmatt]

It's also a nice way to discuss about that topic with a linguistic approach. If we start to accept the words "mediocrity, ordinary, ..." and understand them, we can feel a little lighter about being someone "normal". In reality it's never about who deserves to be called "elite member" or best in something... In my opinion it's more about accepting who we are and what makes sense for us in life. Be benevolent with yourself, accept your weaknesses and use your strenghts to move on and build your life :)

[Knife_guy]

Being mediocre or as I call it “irrelevant” or “of no consequence” is a fact of life. It is a hard pill to swallow as we want to be the best but most of us are failures. I’m now 40 but have come to realize as hard as I work and the hardest I try I will mean nothing in the end.

[warrenthorp]

It’s actually important to embrace mediocrity. Constant striving to be better, or the best, or to ‘qualify’ in some indefinable social race is very bad for your health in the long term.

[TheCommunicationCoach]

The key is all in how one chooses to perceive it, mediocre is a benignly negative term. Saying, 'satisfied' or a 'relaxed and easy' lifestyle with moderate goals is much better. "Mediocrity" is only used to incite viewers, when it should be in quotation marks. C- at best.

[FarmerDrew]

As an average guy, I know my worth. Being an average guy might just make you the savior of humanity, as evidenced by the classic American film Idiocracy.

[HolisticManifesting]

I'm okay with people having more than me. But I still like the better things life has to offer. Ordinary isn't very creative. It's sort of sad. 😔

[theresaivy]

There is even a television show here in the USA call The Middle. As you tell by the title the show is about a average middle class family. It tells about the average day in an average family the ups and downs that they go through the bad times the good times and just about being a family. Now now in the midst of all these shows about glamor, zombies, the paranormal, and sci-fi you have this definitely unglamorous show doing really well in the ratings. Why? My theory is that most people can probably relate and not only that it's wicked funny in a very low key way. Here's the other thing the characters aren't portrayed as for buffoons and they don't usually go for the cheap easy laugh. We need to rethink our definition of success. If you have a life where you and the people you love are relatively happy and a lot of the days are good and not bad then I think of that as success. If you and the people you care about are relatively healthy I think of that success. If you are a help in your community I think that's success. I think that's my definition of success.

[antonioelpidiodimatteo]

Rewarding, simple and intelligent like few other speaches, congratulations ☯️☮️

[cristiano_ladik]

Este canal incrível mudou e está mudando a minha vida, saber que eu era vendedor de picolé, servente de pedreiro e hoje tenho LIBERDADE FINANCEIRA, graças ao conhecimento que tirei daqui e de outros canais incríveis do YouTube, as vezes nem eu acredito no que estou vivendo, acabei até criando um canal no YouTube para estar ajudando como fui ajudado, Muito muito obrigado novamente

[stuchatterton]

Advanced is another one. Advanced (insert business name). Advanced formula. Which essentially means nothing at all, except we like to make ourselves sound better than the competition in the hope of getting work/you to buy our product. We also get to go first in the phone book! This co-opting devalues words to such an extent that, for example, the hideously overused word passion elicits more eye-rolling than wonderment. All imho as always.

[Shikori_Tsuru]

I like the message in general, but my problem with this is that if weak-minded were to accept this way of thinking, their minds would use it as a catalyst to keep them away from any sort of discomfort (which is needed to achieve many goals), even though those people actually might be able to push through and achieve great hights if they went for it hard.

[nerdlingeeksly]

Who knew Jerry Smith had a real life counterpart.

[Larry]

I gag every time businesses use the term world-class.

[thenothingking]

Reject mediocrity, embrace David Goggins

[StandAgainstTheCartels]

Chauvinism is a surprisingly common ego crutch people fall back on or completely embrace. So many have to place themselves above others or groups of people, even to the point of criminalizing those people for their differences.

[yusufc]

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