#Average April 17

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Today’s Coach4aday post is on AVERAGE.

On Saturdays I often get a chance to read long form articles. This past weekend thanks to a recommendation from Tim Ferris I read the “The Age of Average” by Alex Murrell.

Essay Review

Many people have read it and claim it might be the best essay of 2023. No argument from me.

His examples of architecture, automobile design, modern design depicted in AirBnB photos, coffee shops, and something he explained as the Instagram Face were all troubling. What caused the concern was I realized he was correct.

Here is one quote from the article:

“According to data shared by Jökull Solberg, around 40% of cars sold in 1996 were monochromatic (black, white, silver or grey). 20 years later that figure had increased to 80%.“

If you drive a relatively new car that is red kudos to you for not being a conformist. Sadly, for me as I inventory my neighbors’ driveways, I realize that data on automobile colors is not incorrect.

Another place that I see when I travel is new construction adhering to the “five over one” design. They often get called “Lego buildings.” Charlotte, Raleigh, and Greenville SC are examples in the Carolinas.

Murrell argues that this obsession with being average is fueled by social media, where people only present the highlights of their lives and create an unrealistic expectation of what life should be like.

There is a life lesson at the conclusion of this essay. We should all be attempting to break free from societal norms and pursue our own unique passions and talents, instead of striving to fit in and be average.

I offer up my declaration of not being average. I drive a red Honda, live in a 1910 home, and surely don’t have an Instagram face.