Mediocrity

I watched The Social Network on Saturday while I was on call for the release. I gotta say, it made me feel pretty bad about myself.

I normally think of myself as pretty smart and most people would agree. Am I smarter than the average person? Probably. Smart enough to become a billionaire? Unlikely.

I made a chart to illustrate where I think I fall on this spectrum of smartness today:

I won the computer programming award in HS, but scored something like in the bottom 17th percentile on my CS GREs. People signed my yearbook with comments saying they expected me to become the next Bill Gates, but I never even volunteered for a research project. I impressed a few professors with my test scores and papers, but I cried over slightly difficult programming assignments.

I feel torn between, I’m pretty smart, I should be doing more with my life and I’m slightly above average, I should be happy with my above average life and reproduce above average offspring.

Should I try harder? Should I devote oodles of time to learning new things? Should I get drunk and start coding? Or should I just accept that I am not destined for greatness, relax and enjoy life?

Do I want to invent the next Facebook? Not really, but sometimes I feel like I could and I’m just being lazy.

9 Responses

  1. Haven’t seen the movie but I’d imagine being a billionaire probably isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, having too much money can be very isolating socially & getting every possession you could ever dream of all at once sounds a bit dull to me. . Mark Zuckerberg has a ton of money but I don’t think it necessarily makes him smart in life, just lucky financially.

    I’ve often felt the way you do. In the past I have turned down a few big career opportunities then later wondered if I should have done something more or if I will do something more with my life. . but every time I really pick it apart thinking about it I realize that I just wouldn’t be happy with what could have been. To me having a happy, more normal life sounds much more appealing (& fulfilling) than being stuck in a famous/stressful money making one.

    Just do what makes you happy. :)

  2. I guess the word greatness differs for every person. I’ve learned that one of the worse things you can do is compare yourself to others and what they are doing, because everyone is great in relation to their own lives. Whatever you’re individually good at, that makes you happy, is your own personal greatness. I think that everyone is great, and unique.

  3. LOL I love your chart.

    I think a lot of people have that feeling – like they could be doing more but aren’t. I wouldn’t worry too much. I think as long as you are happy in life and are good at what you do and try hard that’s what matters.

  4. Believe me, I’m SURE it takes a LOT of hard work to get where all the billionaires are today…. I see how hard the president of the company I work for, works, and there’s no way he’s THAT rich too. So being a billionaire would probably really crazy… I say just relax! If you’re happy with where you’re at, then don’t worry about it! I watched that movie too, but I actually didn’t compare myself to him or anything. Haha. I think you should just do what makes you happy, even though it won’t make you rich. Money really doesn’t make you happy… So relax and enjoy your wonderful life! =)

  5. This makes me depressed in a hilarious way. I often think of where I stand on the whole social hierarchy but I still get the feeling that I’m unaccomplished. I mean, I was in a gifted/talented class in my late primary school years and I even went to a good high school. I go to a well-known university now and I’m not studying something like engineering or computer science, but I am aiming for a degree in something that will help me in the future. My intelligence is being recognised in some way. :P I will never be where silly old Zuckerberg is, and perhaps I am in the slightest bit jealous, but everyone has different ambitions. Some people just want to be the average American and they’re cool with that. Zuckerberg has fame and fortune, what a lucky duck. I’m positive you’ll get a great paying job in the near future without having to invent something insanely popular. :)

  6. I dunno, I feel like you are incredibly lucky. If you’re interested in any of these social networking sites…they are HOT HOT HOT with jobs… I know you have a really good one now..I’m just saying.. there’s not one day I see jobs posted for FourSquare, Facebook, Twitter, etc. that i wish I knew something about being a software developer or a programmer …or anything. Best thing I got is possible Customer Service, yet even that I’m not really qualified for..

    1. oh yeah, being a developer right now is great. I am definitely lucky.
      I just got another raise today, lol.
      I absolutely love my job and life in general

      it’s not so much that I want to do something different, I just want to do something extraordinary.
      At work they’re really pushing us to be innovative. That’s all I hear all the time, submit ideas, create patents. I’ve got nothing.

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