The curse of being Mediocre

According to the world, a person is either successful or a failure. But in between these two extremes lies another segment—mediocrity. The problem is that a mediocre person is not a failure to the outside world, which automatically places them in the 'successful' category. However, the mediocre one knows deep inside that they are not successful. They might be in the top 10%, but they are not in the top 1%—and that difference is what haunts them.

I bet most people reading this fall into the category of mediocrity. It’s like being second—everyone applauds you for making it to the podium, but deep down, you know you aimed for the top. You spent your whole life preparing to be number one, yet somehow, you always end up in second or third place.

This psychological defeat is what keeps you up at night. You give your absolute best every time, yet fate always seems to pull you back. You constantly wonder: What am I missing? What’s that one thing that separates the top 10% from the top 1%?

The worst part? No one sympathizes with mediocrity. If you were failing, people would give you advice, offer help, or at least acknowledge your struggle. But when you are in the top 10%—when you are “good, but not great”—you are expected to be satisfied. You have “made it,” at least by society’s standards. Yet, internally, you grapple with an invisible wall—an undefined barrier that separates the truly exceptional from those who almost got there.

When you’re at the bottom, your goal is clear: escape the pit. Whether it’s landing a job, starting a business, or doing anything that proves you’re not a failure, the direction is obvious—you just need to climb.

But mediocrity? Mediocrity is directionless. There is no set roadmap to greatness. No well-defined steps to follow. Everyone who makes it to the top carves their path, and figuring out that path is what drives people insane.

Some never dare to start.
Some take the path and get lost forever.
Some push forward, only to realize it’s too much and turn back.
And a few? A few make it to the end.

I don’t know where you are right now. But if you're still walking, keep going. Because the only thing worse than being mediocre is stopping before you find out if you were meant for more.