The Normalization of Mediocrity

“To err is human, but to persist is diabolical.” Saint Augustine

The world has evolved in many ways, particularly in terms of technology and social issues, recognizing the need for equal rights and representation for minorities. However, it seems to have regressed in other areas. I am referring to the acceptance of defeat, or the "banalization" of wrongdoing, to use an expression coined by Hanna Arendt when describing the actions of Nazi criminal Adolf Eichmann, who was brought to trial in Israel.

According to Arendt, Eichmann was not a bloodthirsty monster, but an obedient and zealous bureaucrat with no empathy for his victims. Arendt exposes the Nazi state's ability to equate the extermination policy of the concentration camps with the mere fulfillment of bureaucratic activity, which was how Eichmann viewed his work. Why condemn a dedicated, obedient civil servant who met his goals and acted within the existing legal order? Obviously, Eichmann was sentenced to death for his crimes; the "banality of evil" was not an excuse for his acquittal.

In life, defeat and mistakes are part of evolution and character building. But just as one must learn from defeat, one cannot tolerate mistakes becoming normalized. Someone who is not bothered by mistakes or defeat, and does not learn a lesson from them, is a complacent fool. Humanity has evolved in the scientific field through the nonconformity and resilience of exponents such as Isaac Newton and Galileo Galilei, to name just two.

On a daily basis, however, we still encounter this type of passive, bureaucratic attitude and lack of nonconformity with injustices and unachieved results. Those who merely fulfill goals, even though they know what is right, cling to the bureaucracy of the institution to avoid making decisions that may require explanations in the future. They are the cowards who apply the famous saying: why do something and have to explain it, when you can just not do it?

In public institutions, we are living in an era where public interest is being trivialized in various ways.

This is a value that cannot be trivialized. However, we have seen a blatant lack of attachment to this concept. Selfish and individual interests are structurally overriding the collective public interest. There is an excess of administration in pursuit of power, forgetting that power is not the property of an individual; it belongs to a group and remains in existence only as long as the group remains united. Without a people or group, there is no power. And where power shrinks, violence takes hold. That is why we have seen an escalation of violence in contemporary society. The concept of authority is inherent to public service and fundamental not only in human relations but also essential in institutions. Maintaining authority requires respect for the person or the position. The greatest enemy of authority is contempt. Therefore, public entities must act and not remain silent, as action is the central pillar of public service. 

In sports, the famous phrase credited to a bishop of London and adopted as a motto by Baron de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games, that "the important thing is not to win, but to compete" is used as a mantra to justify mediocrity. Winning athletes are not content with victories. They seek performance and to surpass previous results. The mediocre, on the other hand, want to be recognized as celebrities in the virtual world and to that end become "pop stars," with millions of followers on social media and flaunting their wealth and prestige. In victory, they are idols; in defeat, they are insensitive to the millions of fans and supporters.

Even in the private sector, the epitome of economic dynamism, we are increasingly finding this acceptance of mediocrity. Service providers have come to adopt the basics as sufficient. The customer is no longer the priority. There is a clear lack of resilience to do what is right, evolve, and seek the best for the customer.

Today's businesspeople don't think long term.

We also find this diabolical acceptance of mediocrity in the business world. Little thought is given to the long term. Decisions focus on immediate impact, stock market prices, or market share. No one takes the risk of conquering new markets, venturing into different locations, adapting to local culture, or developing new regions. The true entrepreneur is essentially a nonconformist by nature. They are not content with achieving goals, but with exceeding them. They are the true driving force of society. Mediocre people, on the other hand, cling to the same old excuses to justify poor results, but always blame others, such as inflation, interest rates, the government, or the climate. They are banal and chanters of anti-business culture.

Thus, the bureaucratization of public life, overly administrative governments, the decline of public services and institutions, the business world, and conformism have deconstructed power structures, and human action has become mediocrely trivialized.