Are You Being Normed Into Mediocrity?
Today, the institutions of society, of which there are many, seem to be preoccupied with programming people to be normed into mediocrity. What does that mean? It means there are people and organizations, collectively "the institutions of society," who seek to control what you think, how you behave, what you do, how much money you can earn, who you become, and more. These institutions seek to benefit from your compliance to their norms. Consider this definition of "normed:"
Normed: A pattern of behavior considered acceptable or proper by a social group.
Source: Urban Dictionary
"Norming" leads to what amounts to the population of a given group being averaged down to mediocrity, with exceptional behaviors being discouraged because they do not comply with the norm of whatever institution of society is advocating them.
A world populated by people like you will lead to a better world. Be bold, be different, be exceptional!
Yes, there are "exceptional" behaviors on both ends of the curve, generically called positive and negative. But what constitutes positive and negative is all too often being "normed" by the institutions of society to create a population of average people who respond to and behave in accordance with the agenda of the institution.
What are some examples of "institutions of society"? This is not an exhaustive list, but it will give you an the idea:
> media: social, news, entertainment, sports, financial, ...
> political: governments, political parties, movements, ...
> schools
> religions
> churches
> social organizations
> peer groups
> family and friends
> employers and coworkers
> ....
An "institution" can be a sociological entity of any size, a massive global business enterprise, or even a world-renown charismatic personality. Basically, an "institution of society" is any entity that seeks to or can have an influence upon you in a manner that can effect at least your beliefs, values, thoughts, and/or behavior. A big example is social media. Think about that.
Science fiction, paranoia, conspiracy theory? Nope. ...
This is not to say that all institutions of society are nefarious in their intent. There are many who truly want you to be, do, have, and give more. These institutions want you to succeed in whatever manner and mean you choose.
Many of these institutional forms have been around a very long time. What has made them more influential and worthy of your scrutiny is the modern-day rapidly evolving powerful information technology with the ability to capture your mind in deceptively subtle ways; and for purposes not necessarily in your best interests.
Science fiction, paranoia, conspiracy theory? Nope. Just plain old garden variety quest for power, influence, and control. In other words, survival of whatever institution is espousing the particular norm.
You are not going to be normed into mediocrity, ... Because average sucks, and that isn't a state you are going to spend any time in at all in your quest to make the world a better place.
The purpose of this article is to make you aware that there are institutions of society who are not necessarily in favor of you being the exceptional and unique person you were born to be! And, to encourage you to seek those that are in favor of you becoming exceptional and being, doing, having, and giving more to a world in need of who you are and will become!
Why is this important to you? Because you ARE NOT AVERAGE! You have dreams, desires, purpose, and vision. You want to be, do, have, and give more. You do not need nor want some organization or institution telling you what you can and can't do to achieve your greater human potential.
You are not mediocre. Rather, you are a unique individual capable of achieving anything you so desire and are willing to work to create. You have an indomitable human spirt with potential beyond your comprehension. You are not going to be normed into mediocrity, nor are you going to comply with the demand to be average. Nope, not you. Because average sucks, and that isn't a state you are going to spend any time in at all in your quest to make the world a better place.
Believe in who you are and will become. It is up to you to create your values and beliefs, and live your thoughts in daily action. You and only you can create your world. Don't rely on the institutions of society, nor allow them to limit you to average. You establish your limits! It is your inalienable right to be rich in all areas of life, and to do so by your choosing and on your terms.
A world populated by people like you will lead to a better world. Be bold, be different, be exceptional!
