Hello!
In the last post, I shared a poem with you which was accompanied by an AI image. A reader wrote back to say how they were unable to accept a creative using AI. When I argued it was only an image and the poem was self-composed, they mentioned it was still a sort of heartbreak for them. I thought it was best to acknowledge the concern of my reader and promised I would be careful in the future. On another level, I’ve been very vocal about not using AI for writing. But then, is it okay if I use it for other work? Where does one draw the line between what’s ethical and what’s not? Or, are ethics a matter of convenience? I will take some time to think about it.
This exchange also made me think how our writing and other social media presence builds perceptions about us. At this stage of life, I am not really troubled by what someone must think of me, least of all someone I’ve only virtually met, but I understand the burden that this kind of exposure brings upon some of us. An extra opinion is a massive load to carry.
However, that won’t prevent me from adding my own thoughts here. The word ‘mediocrity’ jumped out at me from many-a-places last week. It started with a tweet about below average people doing well and the brighter ones languishing in the mediocrity corner, unsure of what caused the upheaval. If you’ve been there too, wondering, join the club! Honestly, I have no answer to this, except perhaps to say that mediocrity is not a curse. I think mediocrity can easily fall into two categories–acquired by descent or nature and acquired by action/inaction. Life is about the choices we make, which depend on our convictions. Some people reach their milestones pretty soon in life and that’s about it.
The next point of reference to mediocrity was when I came across Charles Bukowski’s poem, No Leaders Please. Says he,
invent yourself and then reinvent yourself,
don’t swim in the same slough.
invent yourself and then reinvent yourself
and
stay out of the clutches of mediocrity.
Bukowski is known for his straight, no-nonsense writing. He’ll just say what he has to without the fear of censure or judgement. I guess that’s important to ‘stay out of the clutches’ as he puts it. If we think too much about the results and are too careful about our choices, we are likely to continue swimming ‘in the same slough’.
But again, what’s wrong with a mediocre life? Nothing actually, as long as it doesn’t bother you when an average mind sits in a top position while the rest of the world bows in servitude. The truth is, there cannot be greater misery than watching fools run the show. But then, it’s also the fools who rush in where angels fear to tread, which sometimes catapults them to unimaginable heights. In short, while factors such as destiny, background, inheritance, etc. have a role to play here, one cannot deny that it is the lack of enterprise, the fear of consequences, and the inability to take a risk that feed mediocrity. The solution lies in either accepting the fool or stepping up to the challenge yourself.
My final rendezvous with mediocrity was in an essay by Manu Joseph. However, this one delves into the concept of gender identity and how mediocre men easily find acceptance in the world as compared to mediocre women. In simple words, a woman cannot afford to be average and successful, while it is very much a possibility in the case of men. That the world forgives mediocre men easily but is unforgiving of ordinary women. I think this is applicable to all identities at large – religious, gender, caste, colour, class, etc. Some mediocrities can survive better than others. But that, for another day.
Going back to the tweet, I don’t agree it’s a play between excellence and ordinariness. Instead, it’s merely a question of who is ready to throw caution to the wind. Without thinking too hard or for too long about the consequences.
Finally, if you are to ask me, mediocrity has its own quiet charm. Why, there’s always a thrill in believing you can conquer the world… but only you care too little for it!
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A Hundred Quills 
Franklyit is hard to please everyone. And who decides what is mediocre and what is not? Often I find ‘great literature ‘ hard to comprehend.
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You’re right. Who gets to decide mediocrity? But I also think there’s always someone better.
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You’ve given me so much food for though here, Sonia! I feel I must come back and read this post again at some point to really consider everything you’ve said. Interesting what you say about mediocrity and how men are excused it whereas women are not. This is so true, I think. Especially in the creative fields. But maybe perhaps in all fields.
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Thanks for reading, Nina. Some things are difficult to talk about definitively. They are hugely dependent on individual approach and perspective. I tried to make this multidimensional. As far as the gender/minority angle, well, we can dismiss it but not for too long.
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I can’t draw either, not at all – most five year olds do better, but I can visualize how I think the cover for my book should look. This time, the process was in different areas of the UK, and in California too, as my cousins and I worked on different versions. One cousin’s a professional artist, who had volunteered. Commissioning an AI design wouldn’t have been my creative work either.
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I remember when I was in college, I had written an article in defense of being average. Everyone cannot be a topper, so obviously there were will be those who are average and some who are below average. In any case, who decides mediocrity? We can’t excel in everything we do thus will be mediocre in the rest. I love giving my best to whatever I do, sometimes I see results, at others I don’t. I would rather do things that give me joy, give my life some meaning rather than being engaged in pursuits where standards are set by someone else.
As far as use of AI is concerned, if I can borrow pics from Pexel or Shutterstock to complement my writing, what’s the harm in using AI (as long as I don’t pass it off as my own).
Always enjoy your thoughtfully written posts, Sonia.
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Hi Punam, thanks so much for sharing your thoughts. I completely agree with you. As Lee said, it’s a continuously shifting position.
Thanks so much for stopping by.
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It is. My pleasure, Sonia.
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There should be no problem as long as the source is made clear – we can’t undo tech, we only have to acknowledge it clearly, so the reader knows. As for mediocrity, I worry about who gets to set the bar.
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Yes, who gets to set the bar. Which has been pretty dismal of late.
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Mediocrity – a topic I dread as often as I find myself slipping into it, both in my thoughts and actions. As a parent I have found it easier to preach than practise to fight for excellence and steer away from mediocrity.
As for the use of AI for images, I am not an artist so AI tools are handy. I have read similar reasons from those who use AI for writing. So, I can’t be sanctimonious about the use of AI.
Frankly, I would rather that a friend use AI tools to draft a work newsletter than ask me for help if he cannot do it himself. I cannot charge him for the words, and neither do I want to do it for free.
We will have to live with AI in the hope that real intelligence has much more to offer than artificial, and will get its due.
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I hear you loud and clear about having a friend use AI rather than ask you to help draft a work newsletter. I’ve been there. With my background in teaching, the amount of requests I get for school magazine-related work and annual day speeches or plays, etc… AI can be very handy there.
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At this point, I’d be happy for mediocre people to be running the show, as long as they’re a) competent, b) ethical, and c) sane.
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That’s a tall order, isn’t it?
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So it would appear . . .
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Where does one draw the line between what’s ethical and what’s not?
This is a question that writers could discuss for a very long time in the context of creating and AI. I can write fairly well, but I can’t draw with any artistry, so I depend on those who can, and I use the images they create. I’m wondering if employing AI for the same purpose is that much different?
As to mediocrity..to me that’s a moving target. In some domains one can be brilliant, in others not so much. There have been instances in my life in which I’ve been a star until someone with more mastery or aptitude came along, and I was suddenly “mediocre” by comparison.
There are so many entry points into these discussions, but these are two that came to me while reading your post.
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There have been instances in my life in which I’ve been a star until someone with more mastery or aptitude came along, and I was suddenly “mediocre” by comparison.
I don’t mind being mediocre either. As you say, it is a moving target. As long as the fear of it doesn’t stop me from doing what I enjoy.
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