Mediocrity In Into The Wild

Nature of Mediocrity
The nature of man is to accept mediocrity. Mediocrity is defined as “of only ordinary or moderate quality; neither good nor bad.” If it is human nature to only be ordinary, why does society promote this nature so heavily? If success is what man wants, why are we too afraid to go and work for it? Are there no longer individuals willing to go out and work for what they earn? The nature of man does not only define society, but man as a whole. Mediocrity is exposed in everyday life through acceptance, success, and careers. These themes are shown in literary works such as the following: The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, and Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson.
In today’s standards, to be ordinary

is to be accepted. It is almost an unwritten rule that to fit in one must stick to the well known path of life and never venture off of it. Ordinary in the societal sense is generally defined by the amount of money someone makes, the kind of car they drive, how big their house is, and what their kids are like. The individuals that perceive society in this way, and judge them by this, are ultimately looking to ensure that they fit into these standards; so that one cannot judge them in these same ways. This is declared in The Crucible when Parris proclaims, “Abigail, I have fought here three long years to bend these stiff-necked people to me, and now, just now when some good respect is rising for me in the parish, you compromise my very character.” This reveals that Parris wants to be accepted into the town and society in which he lives, and confronts Abigail in the process, to prove that he does not want his reputation ruined. Society as a whole classifies individuals based on material wealth over the nature of their personality. Most of these people, if not all, accept their place in society, and believe that there is no more to achieve. They give into the acceptance of mediocrity.
Success is not just a measure of wealth or the amount of expense of material items in life, but prominently a measure of feeling towards a particular accomplishment. So who determines what accomplishment is greater than the next? Success is defined only in one individual’s eyes. This is enlightened in The Crucible when John Proctor declares, “It is rare for people to be asked the question which puts them squarely in front of themselves.” This exhibits that John Proctor’s nature is that in which he believes a person is not only judged by others, but also himself. If success is finding happiness, finding the things in life that create happiness will make the hard work worthwhile. People by today’s standards; get too wrapped up in letting a job or money dictate their happiness. The people that choose not to dwell on these ideas and push away the mediocrity in life do so by their own choosing. No one tells them what enough is; they know what is right for them, and mediocrity no longer has a hold on their life.
The beginning level of acceptance of mediocrity begins with a job. Society gets too wrapped up in the hierarchy of careers that one person’s idea of a dream job is another man’s torture. A career does not define a person’s social ordinance, but it does define their character. A man’s willingness to get up and go to a job every day that he hates shows that he accepts that job and see’s no other options on the horizon. If a man does not like his job, he should quit and move on to something that brings him joy to do every day. The worst thing a man can do for himself is to want to change his situation, but does nothing to get there. Dreams do not just magically become accomplished without working for them. This theme is acknowledged in Self Reliance when Emerson proclaims, “In the attempt his genius deserts him; no muse befriends; no invention, no hope.” It can be concluded from this that when man loses his humanistic conjecture—no matter what is done in a man’s life, all the time, all the work; his conscious undertaking will never be enough. This proves that the full hearted manor of man is nothing more than an incessant cauldron. Without working for a dream, it might as well have never been accomplished because it was never earned. Mediocrity starts with the smallest things, but only continues to build once it is accepted.
But isn’t it true that some people break the mold and take a situation into their own hands?

Wouldn’t it stand to reason that a certain type of person would be willing to change their situation for the better? It would imply that this person has made a clear decision to change the outcome of their life, and not conform to the average standard set by society. This claim is shown in Into the Wild when the author writes about the main character, Chris McCandless, exclaiming: “To symbolize the complete severance from his previous life, he even adopted a new name. No longer would he answer to Chris McCandless; he was now Alexander Supertramp, master of his own destiny.” This quote emphasizes the characters drive to start a new life for himself, to not accept the one he was given, and put his new life to good use. This shows his character because he no longer puts up with what he has, makes a change and is rewarded with it. The free thinkers and outliers of society set the bar, or the so called “limit,” to what can be achieved in the world that we live in. They cherish this embellished spirit and use it further progress their own ideas of success and progression. These unconventional individuals prove that mediocrity is not a path that has to be taken, and there is something to be said for

that.
Although there is supporting evidence to prove that there is a select number of individuals in the world willing to work hard to not conform, and make a name for themselves. The rest of the world still seems to dwell on the idea that accepting mediocrity is a conventional idea in society. No longer are there people willing to go against the set predisposition of the world, and change their situation no matter where they started. In spite of the world focusing on the few cases of true success and willingness to succeed, man continues to accept mediocrity.