The Myth of the “Average Man"
Whether you believe in it or not, the concept of the “average person”—or the “average man”—is nothing more than a myth. When you break it down, you'll see that it’s a convenient label used to generalize others, but actually holds little to no weight in reality. The truth is, the image of the “average person” we make up in our mind is almost always a projection of how we see ourselves. If your self-esteem is high, you might imagine the average person as beneath you—a lazy, unmotivated individual with no ambition. Conversely, if your self-esteem is low, you might internalize that label and might acually see yourself as that "average person", blending into a crowd of mediocrity, wasting life. Either way, this distorted perception limits personal growth and ultimately clouds the way we view others.
For much of my life, I carried a very clear mental image of what the “average person” looked like: someone who smoked weed all day, got drunk, played video games, and had no aspirations. Tell me, what might the average person look like to you? What kind of characteristics and traits do they posses? Regardless if I was accurate or not, this made up stereotype served a purpose—it was a picture I painted to make myself feel superior, a way to reassure myself that I was “better than average", better than most. But as I’ve grown, I’ve realized how flawed and shallow that mindset was. People are infinitely more complex than the stereotypes we project onto them. Reflecting on my journey, I’ve come to see how this myth of the “average person” was less about others and more about my own insecurities. It’s something I’ve fallen into more times than I’d like to admit—using the idea of being “better than average” as a crutch to bolster my self-esteem.
This realization didn’t come overnight. One experience that humbled me deeply was during senior year of high school when I found out my GPA ranked me 133rd out of 266 students in my graduating class. Statistically, I was the embodiment of average—right in the middle. Yet that number didn’t tell the whole story. Was it truly “average” for someone to teach themselves how to code and build a website from scratch? Was it average to spend hours crafting articles designed to bring value to readers? Was it average to read one to three books a month across various topics for the past 4 years, striving to grow and learn with every page? And was it average to turn that middle-of-the-pack GPA into a collegiate career filled with Dean’s and President’s List honors? These accomplishments, among many others, didn’t fit the label. And yet, on paper, I was just another “average.”
This is the problem with the idea of the “average person.” It reduces individuals to oversimplified numbers or stereotypes and ignores the nuance of their humanity. Humans are not statistics. When we label someone as average, we strip away their unique strengths—the very traits that make them remarkable. Simultaneously, we dismiss their weaknesses, which are essential for identifying areas of growth. The label harms not just the person being judged but also the one doing the judging. And I wouldn't be writing this today if I didn't see that term used so frequently. If you see yourself as “above average,” you might overvalue your abilities and avoid pushing for improvement. If you see yourself as “average,” you risk devaluing your potential and settling for less than you’re capable of. Either way, the label becomes a limitation
So how do we break free from this mindset? The first step is recognizing that the “average person” is a construct of our own making. Once you see it for what it is—a reflection of your inner world—you can start to dismantle it. Instead of projecting your insecurities or aspirations onto others, focus on understanding yourself. What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? How can you improve without judgment? By shifting the focus inward, you can move away from comparing yourself to an imaginary average and instead concentrate on becoming the best version of yourself.
At the same time, it’s crucial to approach others with empathy. Every individual has a unique combination of experiences, challenges, and talents. Reducing them to a label—whether “average” or otherwise—robs them of their complexity and humanity. When you begin to see people as individuals rather than stereotypes, you enrich your understanding of the world and your place in it. This shift in perspective not only fosters deeper connections but also helps you let go of the need to compare.
Ultimately, life is too complex to fit into the narrow confines of “average.” Each person’s journey is shaped by an infinite number of variables—circumstances, choices, and opportunities that cannot be distilled into a single metric. The myth of the “average person” belongs in the trash because it serves no one. You are not a number, and neither is anyone else. By embracing individuality and rejecting oversimplified definitions, you open the door to genuine growth.
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