banality deconstructed

In academic circles, being average (or below) is often given a bad rap. This tendency to map folks onto a linear (ordered) manifold has well-documented shortcomings, not just in academia.

Perhaps a healthier approach is to expect mediocrity, but to go beyond that to embrace its diversity. After all, average behaviors are inevitable by definition, but it takes a wide range of skills and perceptions to support the communities in which we live.