A Case for Mediocrity

Ethan Gu
1 day ago
3 min read

The road to exceptionality requires mediocrity.

In Middlesex, it feels like a crime not to be productive.

Already occupied with sports requirements and grade deflation, Middlesex students are under the anxiety of being mediocre in every aspect of their life at school, even outside of the classroom. It is not unusual for a conversation about class schedules to immediately shift into comparisons or inquiries about grades. This invisible yet perceptible pressure permeates the Middlesex experience. The pressure intensifies during exam weeks, when students start their annual “Middlesex grind” to improve their grades in the encroaching exams of each term. When exams are returned, topics such as “what did you get in English?” or “What’s your grade in History?” reverberate through the hallowed halls of Eliot and seem to dominate most conversations. In an environment obsessed with being exceptional, any seemingly “unproductive” action feels unacceptable.

This obsession, however, did not emerge out of nowhere. As the college admission process grows more and more competitive, many students feel a debilitating desire to be exceptional, to be far better than all the others applying. In 2018, the number of applicants for Yale was 35,307, about an 55% increase compared to the 22,817 applicants in 2008, while its acceptance rate decreased from 8.6% to 6.3%. Boston College also experienced a similar decrease in acceptance rate, from 16.5% for the class of 2026, to 13.9% for the class of 2029. The data reflects a trend of intensifying competition and mourning expectation for college enrollments: in order to get that deeply coveted ticket to a top 10 college among a large pool of applicants, there is absolutely no room for mediocrity.

Even in moments meant for rest, students felt compelled to achieve something extraordinary rather than enjoying hobbies without the burden of being excellent. Therefore, it is crucial that Middlesex students accept mediocrity and reject the modern expectations of being exceptional. Accepting mediocrity, not in a way of laziness and relinquishing the opportunities to strive for the better, but in a way of recognizing that it is impossible to be exceptional in everything—one simply cannot become a slave to this unrealistic goal. This is not what education is supposed to look like.

Anxiety about colleges, grades, extracurriculars, and personal resumes seems like the defining characteristic of modern academia. Though it compromises academic anxiety and uncertainty, modern education does wish for students to build characters and optimize self-growth. These values are commendable and certainly helpful for students, but the current problem is that, with an economic recession, people tend to emphasize the utilitarian aspects of education. With increasing competition for colleges, these values would eventually lead to a utilitarian obsession with outcomes, prioritizing results rather than personal growth and the development of individual character. Most students now endeavor to stand out not to build character, but simply to distinguish themselves in competitions and secure college acceptance.

Accepting mediocrity is inherently different from being mediocre. Many people assume that accepting mediocrity means relinquishing the space for improvement. However, when real mediocrity is recognized, students are actually able to improve without an obsession not just to get better, but to be the best. Mentality is crucial in the pursuit of anything, and accepting mediocrity helps a person to recognize their flaws and clarify what they really want to achieve, rather than following a path merely because it is what the environment demands. Teaching students to recognize their flaws while holding to a determination for excellence is what education should look like.

It is not a crime to be unproductive at Middlesex, and it certainly should not feel like one. While everyone chases excellence, we should not allow the obsession of being exceptional to torment our mindsets. Middlesex students need to be set free from the distorted expectations we place on ourselves. True growth begins when we recognize our flaws, accepting that it is fine if we do not succeed in being exceptional in everything we do.