Cult of Mediocrity

"The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal. They weren't only equal before God and the law. They were equal in every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger, or quicker than anybody else.... Hazel had a perfectly average intelligence, which meant she couldn't think about anything except in short bursts. And, George, while his intelligence was way above normal, had a little mental handicap radio in his ear. He was required by law to wear it at all times. It was tuned to a government transmitter. Every twenty seconds or so, the transmitter would send out some sharp noise to keep people, like George, from taking unfair advantage of their brains." - Kurt Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron"

My brother had me listen to that short story once, I think. I don't know. I just read it again on this site (listed below), where, right before sharing the story, they wrote this:

Consider Marianne Williamson: "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? ...There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.... And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

I believe this to be true, but the Cult prefers to feel comfort in the chains of their fears, and would have me keep my place in the galley. Many of us never get past the butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling, take the risk to step on stage and reap the reward of warm applause-- or even survive the harsh contempt of booing. To aspire to live fully seems to goad people to play devil's advocate, to parry with the reminder that we are all doomed to die, so why bother? In fact, this truth should itself goad us into redoubling our resolve, but all too often it does not.

o0o0o0o0o, desire to break out of the ordinary. I feel you. And I feel ya. Man, woman (I assume this desire, if personified, would be female, primarily for comedic effect).



Website - http://people.tribe.net/metric/blog/5c1ee941-bd4e-43ae-a884-78621804b75e