Being Average in the Age of Alpha
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Being Average in the Age of Alpha
1–10 of 23 posts
Re: Being Average in the Age of Alpha
#2I would call it "being different" in the age of "crowds' standards". Really, what people need to realize is that everybody is different from others in at least one respect. Striving to become an "alpha" is like trying to win other peoples' game: the rules of this game are written by other people and there are already some who are far ahead of the others in this game. As a result, chances of winning in other peoples' game are pretty slim. That's why it pays to be different, in an age that promotes some widely accepted standard as being the right one (the "alpha").
Re: Being Average in the Age of Alpha
#3I would call it "being different" in the age of "crowds' standards". Really, what people need to realize is that everybody is different from others in at least one respect. Striving to become an "alpha" is like trying to win other peoples' game: the rules of this game are written by other people and there are already some who are far ahead of the others in this game. As a result, chances of winning in other peoples'…
BETA MALE
BETA ... jesse lee peterson anyone. Its a joke
Re: Being Average in the Age of Alpha
#4I feel neurologically-predetermined to fret about my deterministic cosmic dice roll. D:
Re: Being Average in the Age of Alpha
#5There is nothing wrong with being average. You should have enough energy to swim above the event horizon, where bad things happen (i.e. financial instability and job insecurity, the root of all evil).
If you don't have the motivation to be excellent, don't try. There really is no point to it, as the author pointed out. Excellent people have an inner "drive" to get there and they seek tremendous joy from walking that path. If you force yourself to do it, you will always be unhappy and your brain won't be able to compete no matter how much you try because there is nothing more important for success than this: You need to love what you do. But also, you need to be at the right time in the right place, have the right environment to strive and parents who have the ability to support you.
The world is a mean and unfair place...
Re: Being Average in the Age of Alpha
#6Maybe intelligence has led to higher stress as we can better recognize what competence looks like and thus what to aim after. So everyone knows what it is better and they all want it, because they know it means the best chances at evolutionary success, regardless of whether the individual is capable of actually reaching that level of competence.
In games you can see this competitive struggle and meta forcing and how dare you stray from obviously the best strategy. I believe there are correlates everywhere there is a hierachy of competence.
Re: Being Average in the Age of Alpha
#7I would call it "being different" in the age of "crowds' standards". Really, what people need to realize is that everybody is different from others in at least one respect. Striving to become an "alpha" is like trying to win other peoples' game: the rules of this game are written by other people and there are already some who are far ahead of the others in this game. As a result, chances of winning in other peoples'…
Insightful comment. Similarly, competitive people prefer and create highly structured environments and situations, where it is clear what to min-max for and where they stand on the highscore list. Nuance and soft qualities go out the window that way, but others can balance that out at some cost.
Re: Being Average in the Age of Alpha
#8Maybe intelligence has led to higher stress as we can better recognize what competence looks like and thus what to aim after. So everyone knows what it is better and they all want it, because they know it means the best chances at evolutionary success, regardless of whether the individual is capable of actually reaching that level of competence. In games you can see this competitive struggle and meta forcing and how…
What about atheletics , or crime. Achievers have a talent and a will. Intelligence is one path to alpha status.
Re: Being Average in the Age of Alpha
#9Average is fine in a normal distribution. In the power law distribution the world is increasingly moving towards, average may not be so good.
Re: Being Average in the Age of Alpha
#10Average is fine in a normal distribution. In the power law distribution the world is increasingly moving towards, average may not be so good.
There are certain jobs and specializations in which you can't just be average. You can find a place as an average doctor, but maybe not in neurosurgery.
But the real problem is "categorizing" people. You can't know whether someone is cut out for something unless they try, and America in particular does not like that kind of progression (after all, you can't try every career on the planet -- you can easily die never knowing what you are good at). They only really like people who choose to do a career they are good at on the first or second try. Or they like people who can convince others they've never failed at anything.