Are You Average? A Case for Focusing on Your Strengths

Honoring what you do best, and recognizing and supporting others’ strengths, creates a stronger, more cohesive community.

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Have you ever felt lousy about yourself because there’s someone better than you—at everything?

I’m not just talking about the whole world because, of course, that’s true. But even among your friend group or community, you may come to the realization that you’re comparatively average at most things.

For a certain kind of competitive or hyper-self-aware person, this can come as a depressing insight.

An Ordinary Guy

In high school, I got good grades and finished second in my class. I also scored well on a number of standardized tests. Early on, this gave me the heady idea that maybe I was kind of special.

We all know this kind of pride comes before a fall. My fall was the harsh reality of the real world and the understanding that success comes down to many more factors than mere book smarts. It turns out, in the vast majority of comparable categories, I’m just an ordinary guy.

Of course, being ordinary isn’t so bad. By definition, most of us are, and success is hardly the most important way to measure a life.

But what if you’re the kind of person who wants to make the biggest positive impact you can? Is there hope for ordinary people to make a difference?

Yes, there is! Thanks to a surprising economic idea named “comparative advantage,” the picture is way rosier than you would guess.

First Place Frank Versus Last Place Larry

Imagine a fictional superperson named First Place Frank. Frank is more talented than everyone else in everything. He only has one “flaw”—Frank is still a human and bound by the scarcity of time like the rest of us. He has just 24 hours in a day.

Another fictional person, Last Place Larry, is the worst at everything. He can do things—he just happens to be a lot slower and less skilled. Larry also has 24 hours to every day.

Now, intuitively, you might think that in the most efficient world, Frank would do everything, and Larry would stay out of his way.

However, in his seminal book “The Principles of Political Economy and Taxation,” published in 1817, economist David Ricardo first laid out the idea of comparative advantage. In simple terms, he argues that even if one person (or group) is worse at everything, we would all be better off if we focused on our best skills and traded with each other for everything else. That way, no one is spending too much time on their second-, third-, or fourth-best skills. This, in a nutshell, is the argument for specialization.

While the economic concept might seem dry, its practical implications are a huge encouragement to me.

It means that everyone, no matter their skill level, can make a positive difference in the world—and the path to greatest impact is through focusing on the things you’re best at (even if others are better).

Because we’re humans and motivation is a huge factor in long-term outcomes, it behooves us to find the sweet spot between our best skills and our personal enjoyment. So, in practical terms, feel free to swap out “best” for “most enjoy” if what you like is something you can see yourself getting better at over time.

Take Action

If the idea of utilizing that sweet spot resonates with you—take action. The economic idea of comparative advantage is an unintuitive reason for optimism and adopting a can-do attitude. Here are some practical implications to consider in your own life.

1. Don’t Be Discouraged If You’re Not Great

While greatness is a blessing, it’s a rare one. We all play a role in making our families, communities, and even the world a better place by doing what we do best. This frees others up to do what they’re good at, and each of us can make our best contribution.

2. Help Others to Identify Their Talents

Our society emphasizes identifying the high achievers among us, but what about the other 95 percent of humans? A worthy and commendable endeavor is to help others see what they are best at and encourage them to use that skill for the good of others.

3. Focus on Your Strengths

Don’t be overly distracted by how you stack up against other people or worry about the things that don’t come naturally to you. The rule of comparative advantage means you (and everyone) are best off if you just focus on your strengths. Not only is this more enjoyable than envy or self-defeat, it’s better for everyone!