The Importance of Being Average.

[retepsnikrep]

Remember the school report...If you could balance the above averages with the below averages, no matter what the subjects, you could hold your head up and you knew you could fight the usual oppression.

i.e. Reading Writing and Arithmetic bad.

Woodwork, Art and Religious Education good

Result.......solid ground.

There’ll be trouble of course, and indeed we all know that nine subjects at genius level and one marked below average and there will be much carping about one subject. You don’t need to be one of the geniuses to know which one it is.

Another acceptable comment on a report is ‘Could do Better.’

Yeah sure, so could everyone at everything.

The real meaning of this comment is ‘Pretty Good Actually.’

Replace the C with an S and it’s bad news. You are into the ‘Should do Better.’ This deteriorates in to the ‘Does not try.’ department. Next stop, ‘Lazy.’....a Ten-toed sloth. Result, you lose the flak jacket of ‘average’ and its hang-dog for you, and righteous indignation (the most terrible sort) for them.

What about ‘Can do it if he tries’ That’s fine, lets take it as read then, just give me a hundred per-cent and don’t lets bother with the actual work.

To be dead stupid is safe at school and dangerous at home. Brilliant is dangerous at school and safe at home. Average is safe, at school and home.

In later life, perhaps moulded by school experience, we seek a norm to measure ourselves against. Others take care of the negative comparisons. We do the positive side for ourselves, and we are the only one we really believe anyway. We are fairly selective about it. Say we are fat and we see a much fatter person, result, we cease to be fat and are probably just about average. We do not seek out the thin to disprove ourselves.

That’s why we don’t like old people, clever, or beautiful people. They are knocking the average age, intelligence and appearance down. A plain young blunderer lifts the spirits no end.

The Average Olympics would be a good thing, I’d have a go at that. There will be some close finishes of course, but we’ll be in with a chance. Where possible there will be nine entrants and all will come joint fifth.

‘Average of the Pops.’ I’d have a go at that too.

Regards Peter :guitarist

[Patsy Warnick]

Where did you get this idea? - Being graded?

I don't grade anyone - now.. I'm sure I'm graded - looked upon - analyzed, whatever - I'm not insecure. What was is past, I live for now I laugh and enjoy all, I'm take it or leave it type person.

Patsy

[Galbally]

I can't remember my reports, except that they went along the lines of "fairly bright fellow, tell him to stop drawing spaceships in his copybooks".

[Marie5656]

What an interesting person. :-3

[RedGlitter]

Once you get out of school there's a place for most everyone. Maybe not psychopaths but you know...