Being Average

average: 1) being intermediate between extremes, 2) usual or ordinary in kind or character, 3) midway between extremes, implying both sufficiency and lack of distinction
www.dictionary.com

Is being average a bad thing?

I still remember my GP tutor asking the students in the class to provide a brief description of themselves during a tutorial (this was during Junior College, 1991 - seems like eons ago!). When it came to one of my friends' turn, he stood up and said, "Well, I'm an average sort of guy-" and before he could continue, my tutor interrupted him and said, "There's no such thing as average; everyone is unique."

Not so long ago, on the local reality show Eye for a Guy 2, when one of the many guys who were vying for Denise Keller's attention shared with her his insecurities and described himself as 'average', he was rebuked for thinking so little of himself. "I never thought of you as average until you brought it up (or something to that effect)", she told him admonishingly. He was of course eliminated during that episode (which isn't such a bad thing - the rest of the guys were subjected to further humiliation and embarrassment which made for very painful watching).

Is being average a bad thing?

It would seem so. In meritocratic Singapore, where the motto is 'Strive for Excellence!', in a society which places so much emphasis on results and achievements, being average is just... not good enough. If you go for a job interview, 'average' is definitely not how you want to describe yourself.

Interviewer: Tell us a bit about yourself.
You: Well, I'm an average sort of guy-
Interviewer: Okaay, we'll contact you soon to let you know of your application.

They want to hear you use words like 'ambitious', 'driven' and 'motivated'.

Interviewer: Tell us some of your faults.
You: I have been described as overly driven and motivated-
Interviewer: When can you start work?

In our cultural context, 'average' isn't even really 'average'. My performance appraisal is on a scale of 1 to 5: 5 - Excellent, 4 - Very Good, 3 - Good, 2 - Average, 1 - Below Average. As seen from this rating scale, you can easily substitute 'average' with 'Poor' or 'Condemned' or 'Should Start Looking for Another Job'. If the government could get away with it, I bet they would make being average a criminal offence and put those found guilty of it behind bars so that the strive for excellence would not be impaired.

So just what does being average mean?

Being average means you may not be an especially outgoing person, but you do have a bunch of good friends that you occasionally hang out with. You don't perform spectacularly well in tests; sometimes, you actually fail spectacularly (!), but most of the time, your grades are just... average.

Or you may be one of the many drones working for a big corporation; you don't stand out, but you do just well enough at work to keep the job. You feel tired and worn out and spend a fair amount of time staring at the computer screen blankly, feeling like you should be doing something else but having no idea what. You are not earning big bucks; maybe you are just earning enough to make ends meet. After paying for your loans, bills and insurance, you are left with peanuts (actual peanuts). You know you should be saving more, but sometimes, you just can't control your spendings.

Being average means that you are sometimes overwhelmed by this society's relentless and oppressive drive for materialism and excellence, and you are just trying to find your own little spot or space in this increasingly bizarre world to retain your sanity. You don't want too much attention, but you do want to be noticed and heard, hence you blog.

But most importantly, being average means that you are a down-to-earth, hardworking (sometimes), responsible and decent person. Being average means you are earning an honest living and doing your best to get by. I am not saying we should take pride in being average, but it is definitely nothing to be ashamed of.

So, the next time someone asks you to describe yourself, go ahead: tell them you are just an average sort of guy*.



* Unclechong does not assume any responsibility or liability should the reader be unable to find a job.