2nd Quartile Syndrome (The Problem of being Above Average)
Sometimes it is beneficial to view things in relative terms and other times in absolute terms. Sometimes we mix these things up to our detriment. For instance, you could have everything you ever wanted, but when your neighbour has more you feel unsatisfied.
One of the problems with modern, western society is that you can be doing well in relative terms but doing very poorly in absolute terms.
If the general populace is mentally and physically healthy and has enough money, it’s perfectly ok to be average or even below average. But nowadays in many western countries the mental and physical health of most people is on the floor. Obesity is the norm. Popping pills is the norm. Eating shit food is the norm. Depression is the norm. Anxiety is the norm. Insufficient income is the norm. Alcohol and drug use are the norm. Lack of motivation is the norm. Constant phone use is the norm. Poor sleep is the norm. In this context, being average or even above average is not desirable. You may gain some satisfaction from being in a better position than most, but you will still suffer the ill effects of your situation.
Society
Society is doing a wonderful job of dragging us down. If most people are completely fucked, I should be cock-a-hoop to be merely slightly fucked. Many of my friends are very overweight, probably obese. I’m seen as the fit one of the group, but I myself am not in great shape. I hate to say it, but my friends look terrible. I don’t want to be a slightly better version of them. For my age range I imagine I would sit comfortably in the 2nd quartile when it comes to physical fitness, mental health, and income. In other words, I’m above average. But I’m still overweight (in a skinny-fat kind of way), anxious and barely scraping by financially.
With society dragging us down it takes a lot of effort to pull ourselves up into the 2nd quartile, but few rewards exist there. Most people are struggling financially, those in the 2nd quartile for income are simply struggling a bit less. Being fat rather than obese cannot be seen as one of our life goals.
Benchmarking
In the renowned course The Science of Wellbeing it suggests that one of the reasons that people are unhappy is because they measure themselves against unattainable benchmarks. If you spend too much time on social media or coveting celebrities and their airbrushed lifestyles, you might well feel miserable as your lifestyle fails to match up.
However, I think we need to be equally wary of setting the average as the benchmark. In many cases the average is an extremely low and undesirable target.
Am I a good benchmark?
My efforts at self-improvement are in the main quite selfish. I mostly indulge for my own benefit and satisfaction. I don’t consider myself to be a role model and I don’t desire to be a role model. But in some ways, we all are role models. We all form part of society and part of the environment of others. We influence the average, and perceptions of normality and attainability.
In economics Adam Smith’s invisible hand suggests that people’s self-interest benefits themselves and in turn society (although I’m sure there will be many who would argue against this belief). Maybe the same can be said for the self-interested pursuit of self-improvement. I find that as I pursue self-improvement, my conversations with friends become more positive. The topics of fitness, mental health, and healthy eating gently seep into everyday conversation. If I’m in good shape, it can no longer be an excuse that everyone ‘our age’ is overweight. Both my wife and I attend the gym and when one of us has had a period of time away from the gym, the other will usually mention how much better they feel after going, and gently lift the other from their lull.
Pareto Principle
The question I’m asking myself is, if I push a little bit harder will the real rewards come. Do I need to push myself into the top quartile or even top 10%?
The Pareto Principle, asserts that approximately 90% of outcomes result from 10% of efforts. If, say, the top 10% own 90% of the wealth, then we essentially have two distinct groups, rather than one continuous spectrum. The top 10% exist in one group and everyone else in the other. So, to be in the 2nd quartile for income or wealth is simply to be one of the wealthier of the poor group.
I feel I need to push that little bit harder, to be that little bit more consistent. I might be mis-representing the Pareto Principle, but I can’t help thinking it’s the next 10% of my efforts that will bring me the true rewards.