Average

A presenter in a packed auditorium asked for a show of hands on all those who believed themselves to be above-average drivers. It was dizzying to see the number of hands popping up. Easily 90%. Just to serve as a refresher, go back to middle school math class. Remember, an average is a number representing the central or typical value in a set of data. Ninety percent is not average.

We, humans, have an affinity for considering ourselves above average because the word average tastes bitter on our tongue. And this notion of being ‘better than’ starts at an exceedingly early age. We are told that in order to get what we want out of life, we must be shining stars, exceptional, brilliant. For this and so many other reasons, average has become ‘less than.’

Here’s a thought. Stand proud in your ability to be like a lot of folks around you. You are in very good company. Because here’s the thing, if all we had were visionaries and stargazers (Note: It is extremely important to have our share of these), how would the actual boots-on-the-ground-work get done?

So, raise a glass to average. Average gets the job done.