EP197 [全英] Is It Okay to Be Average?

Why Does Everyone Else's Success Make Us Question Our Own?

Have you ever opened LinkedIn, scrolled through a few posts, and suddenly felt a little worse about your own life?

Someone just got promoted to Vice President. Someone else started a company and raised millions of dollars. And another person just landed an amazing job at Google, Microsoft, or some other big-name company.

And you're sitting there, looking at your phone, thinking...

What am I doing with my life?

I have to admit, this happens to me more often than I'd like.

I went to business school in the US, and many of my MBA classmates have gone on to do some pretty amazing things.

Some have become senior executives. Some have built successful businesses. And some seem to be climbing the corporate ladder at an incredible speed.

And don't get me wrong. I'm genuinely happy for them.

But sometimes, I can't help wondering...

Have I done enough? Should I have achieved more by now? Am I falling behind?

And here's the funny thing.

If you had asked me twenty years ago what success looked like, I probably would have described something pretty close to the life I have today.

But somehow, now that I'm here, it doesn't always feel like enough.

So today, I want to talk about something that's been on my mind lately.

In a world where everyone seems to be chasing extraordinary success, is it actually okay to be average?

And perhaps more importantly, what does being average even mean?

� 本期的知识卡片我们整理在下面啦：

� English Learning Card｜Is It Okay to Be Average?

1. One-minute summary｜一分钟英文概述

In a world full of success stories, it’s easy to wonder whether we are falling behind. Social media often makes this feeling worse because we compare our everyday lives to other people’s highlight reels.

However, being “average” depends on our reference group. Someone who feels successful at one company might feel ordinary after joining a group of highly accomplished people. They haven’t become less successful—the people they compare themselves to have changed.

The episode also explores the difference between being motivated by ambition and being controlled by comparison. Ambition can help us learn and grow, but constantly measuring ourselves against others can leave us feeling inadequate.

Ultimately, success doesn’t have to be defined only by income, job titles, or achievements. Family, friendships, freedom, health, and meaningful experiences matter too. As the episode puts it: “You can have an extraordinary life without having an extraordinary résumé.”

2. Key vocabulary & expressions｜核心词汇与表达

3. Useful sentence patterns｜实用句型

1.It’s not just about …; it’s also about …

用于说明某件事不仅涉及一个方面，还涉及另一个方面。

It’s not just about wanting to succeed; it’s also about being afraid of falling behind.

这不仅是想要成功，也和害怕落后有关。

2.The more …, the more / less …

表示“越……，就越……”。

The more time I spend comparing myself to others, the less satisfied I feel.

我花越多时间和别人比较，就越不容易感到满足。

3.A doesn’t mean B.

用于澄清两件容易被混为一谈的事情。

Being average at your job doesn’t mean your life is any less meaningful.

工作表现普通，并不意味着你的人生就不那么有意义。

4.There’s a difference between … and …

用于区分两个看起来相似、实际上不同的概念。

There’s a difference between being motivated by ambition and being controlled by comparison.

被 ambition（抱负）激励和被 comparison（比较）控制，是有区别的。

5.

If nobody could see …, would you still …?

用于反思：如果没有外界的认可，自己是否还会想要某个目标。

If nobody could see your achievements, would you still want the same career?

如果没有人能看到你的成就，你还会想要同样的职业吗？

4. Speaking practice｜口语输出

尝试用英文回答，每题说 3—5 句：

Have you ever seen someone’s success on social media and felt that you were falling behind?

Who is in your current reference group? How does that affect the way you see yourself?

What does success mean to you besides money and job titles?

How can you stay ambitious without constantly comparing yourself to others?

If nobody could see your achievements, what goals would you still want to pursue?

5. Quick review｜快速自测

用本卡片中的词组填空：

When I see my classmates getting promoted, I sometimes worry that I’m __________.

Remember that social media is often someone’s __________, not a complete picture of their life.

After reaching one goal, she immediately set a harder one. She kept __________.

Learning new skills can help people __________ in a changing job market.

He’s still trying to __________ what kind of life he wants.

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