Extraordinay vs. an Ordinary Life

9/9/2012

In her article "Redefining Success and Celebrating the Ordinary,"
Alina Tugend suggests that we currently focus too much on being
special and extraordinary, that we put too much pressure on ourselves and our
children to be the best.

Read the article (by clicking on the title). Respond by answering the quest
What is your opinion about the article? Do you agree or disagree with Tugend?
What happens to our society when we are all striving to extraordinary all the time?
What might happen to our society if all we strived for was the ordinary?
What is your definition of success?
How does being extraordinary play into success?

73 Comments

Fred Schlichtholz

9/10/2012 10:04:32 am

I tottaly agree with what she is saying in this article. she is completely right. just look at it we are living in a capitalist society we go day to day thinking survival of the fittest. just me as a person i strive to be the best possibel baseball player i can be. i workout 2 times a day eat 6 meals a day just to gain weight. i throw almost everyday run everyday and then i have games infront of division one colleges and professional scouts where i strive to do my best.

what happens when we all strive to be super unordinary is there is alot of mistakes and errors. we cant all be the best there can only be one. everyone is looking for that one unordinary person for everything where it be jobs sports or even when we shop we all look to be different.

if we all lived to be just ordinary we would be living like communist. no one wants that. we all want to be living in malibu sitting back with a fall off pool. no one want to live or be like everyone else. no one wants to be ordinary. does anyone just want ordinary shoes or some stylish ones we show on a star? we all know the answer to that. we cant function being ordinary its just not possible.

to me the definition of sucess is money. money money money thats all sucess is. everyone want to be sucessful because of money. there is nothing more to it. money speaks and it shows. sucess isnt feeling good after getting an a on a paper. sucess is what that a perpared you for later in life that will turn into dollar bills.

being extraordinary plays into the role of sucess because thats what everyone in this world is looking for. everyone is looking for something in someone that other people dont have. like dating we all want that dream babe but if that dream babe isnt all there at the top thats not what we want. we want the dream babe who is smart funny and easy to be around and not everyone has that.

Morgan Lyons

9/10/2012 10:46:57 am

I think her column sends such a good message to the world. It is not about the awards in life, it's about the experiences. I agree with her because she explained exactly what is true in our society. Sometimes it takes the regular people to make the difference in the world, it's okay to be regular and enjoy life and to lead a good life and not be the smartest person in the class. Society needs all types. My definition of success is to satisfy yourself, not others. Parents want kids to be practically superheros. Everyone wants their kids to be the best, but it only matters in the longrun about what you want and what decisions you choose to make. Being extrodinary to me, means treating each other with respect and having good memories to look back on.

Carolyn Gauvin

9/13/2012 12:28:40 pm

I totally agree about what you said about success. Great job ! Also, i agree when you say that its okay to be regular and enjoy like. I think you made a great point by saying you can be an amazing student/person by not having to be the top of your class. Being average doesnt make you invisible, it makes you normal, and that's what a lot of people like. I think you showed that really well in this blog.

Austin White

9/10/2012 11:33:51 am

Well I somewhat agree with her but the other half of me doesn't why? Well anyone can live a ordinary life, but why? Why? When you can set your goals to something much higher than that. She is right but you can still live a ordinary life and it can be great. If everyone was striving to be extraordinary it would just make a so called "New generation of ordinary people". The world is full of many extraordinary people but its more of the events that YOU embrace and remember not the way people see you.There is no need to strive for ordinary anyone can be ordinary you have to set goals and do things that make you proud of yourself. So if we all were to try to be ordinary it would probably be a simpler lifestyle because no one would be able to judge. My definition of success if reaching my goals that i set not what people expect, Like my goal is to become a Firefighter and evening earning a place in sometime like that i would say that i had a successful lifestyle. Extraordinary plays a part in success because you have to do things that only so many people can do and learn certain ability's which is what grants you success. So i believe that everyone should just try there hardest in life, and also nobody's "normal" every single person is different from another which makes us all extraordinary.

Marie Miller

9/10/2012 01:27:22 pm

I totally agree with you! I like how you said your goal about being a firefighter and even earning a place close to that would still be a successful lifestyle. I feel the same way about how many people set a goal and try to work up to it.

Kendall Emerson

9/13/2012 08:27:54 am

Same here Austin! I think that soon living a nice quiet life, and maybe not attending the highest standard college we can get in to will be so odd of us to do. I think it's the small moments that count, no matter how extraordinary you are.

emma kriechbaumer

9/13/2012 01:59:19 pm

I totally agree what you said Austin! You really explained your points and backed them up perfectly. I loved when you mentioned your dreams and the things you wish to accomplish because that really showed me your perspective on success and that it is something you wouldn't take for granted. Everyone does need to try their hardest, because everyone has a chance at achieving any goal they want to achieve1

Marie Miller

9/10/2012 01:25:12 pm

I think that her writing really related to me in many ways. People and parents these days are pressuring kids to do better than they can do, which might stress them out a bit worrying about impressing their peers. Many people want to impress other people to be "popular" and pretend to be someone your not. That's not living the life you should be, but in many cases that is the ordinary life these days. Society mainly thinks about being the best of the best because that's how they were raised to think. We are surrounded by people telling us to do this and that, but can't we just make our own choices? If the society strived for the extraordinary all the time, they wouldn't have memories or not as much fun in life since they might be making it hard on themselves. The definition of success to me is setting a goal and reach it, after working hard to do it. I think that extraordinary plays into success because again if you focus too much about being better than average, you might get off track and not have as much success as you planned

Morgan Lyons

9/11/2012 12:35:19 am

You couldn't have said that better Marie! After reading it, I thought the same thing. Many people do want to impress friends to be popular. But the truth is, if you be yourself, you will be more happier then you would of been, not being yourself. Many parents pressure their kids, and wouldn't it just be better if we could make our own decisions. What are we going to do when we are in college, and we don't have our parents? Parents need to keep a tight leash, but not to tight, that the kids have no freedom.

Yvanna BIdart

9/13/2012 02:39:48 pm

I agree with what you said! I think that peer pressure plays a big role in "success." It's very true how people just want to impress their peers to feel accomplished, but the only way to actually accomplish is by believing in yourself and try your hardest. You have to push yourself to reach YOUR goals not somebody's else's expectations.

Jake Little

9/10/2012 01:26:56 pm

I agree with the statement that you don't have to be this amazing, famous, special, kind person to have an extraordinary life. You don't have to go to the top university or get all A's in high school. If you want to live your life doing what you love and keeping up with the now and keeping up with your studies and aspiring what you want to do, that's great. We can't just go out and be like, "Hey everybody! I'm gonna raise my grades and become a humanitarian and I'll become an american hero!" not everyone can just set themselves from the group unless you really strive for it. It's not like everyone's gonna get shut down from being famous or popular, it's all a matter of how committed you are. If you want to be a famous basketball player, throw some hoops in your backyard, plan out strategies, talk with your coach if you have one. Strive to out-place others if you want to be extraordinary, because if that's all you want out of life, it's not easy. That doesn't mean we should force our children to work themselves to death, your child can still be above average, not famous, but above average if they work towards it. Ordinary life sounds boring, but if you're not really into the future, get ready for it.

Shelby Mayes

9/11/2012 12:59:59 pm

I agree with you completely. I agree that we should all be happy with our best. Who cares if your best is different then someone else's best. I also think being ordinary would be boring after while but you could argue that being extraordinary would do the same. I think once you've achieved success you have expectations for who you want to be from then on, and they can put stress on people just as much as being unsatisfied with an ordinary life can.

Nathan Gehlken

9/13/2012 02:22:43 pm

Jake I totally agree. We shouldn't be forced or force ourselves to be this amazing magnificent person who can do anything, much like a superhero, no one can really "do it all," unless you're Oprah, but shes in her own category of royalty..If you can just be who you want to be and strive hard enough for what you do want, you can get it, and it wont take you so long that only a vampire whose been alive for one thousand years can accomplish...As long as your proud of what you have done, and happy with yourself, I think you've done pretty well, and in your own way, you are successful

Yvanna Bidart link

9/10/2012 01:59:49 pm

I completely agree with what she said throughout her column. I believe that everyone should live up to their own expectations,not somebody else's. Everyone can excel at their own pace. For example, you can give everything you got on a test and get a C and somebody else could give everything they've got and get an A+. By going slow and achieving your own goals bit by bit you CAN get to the top very fast. You can be EXTRAORDINARY by getting to your finish line. It's better to achieve at MANY small goals than falling short of the mark by trying to get to the top past everyone. Success to me is not about being the boss, having to much money, or being part of a big corporate job."And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.-- Abraham Lincoln. Life is more about achieving and enjoying the ride, rather than the immediate present. Life is trying to give your best, not necessarily always being the best.

Talitha Johnson

9/12/2012 08:19:02 am

I agree with you because of what you said about people going at their own pace. It is painful to be the person in school who needs more time to learn something and the teacher just can't afford to keep the class behind with you.

Kendall Emerson

9/11/2012 08:42:36 am

My opinion on the article is very simple; people need to not higher their expectations, but lower them. A skilled person that is good at anything does it for the benefits and achievements for themselves. Not to make our society happy. As my previous statement would presume, I do agree with Tugend. I think when we all strive to be the very best in our society, we forget how important it is to remember the small sweet moments that we share with our family and friends, and we forget how important it is to enjoy life how it is, not how we want it to be. I think if we all tried to be “ordinary”, then our world would be more appreciative of what we have, and we would have a more enjoyable life, though it would be much simpler than the lives most of us lead now. Our society would slow down from this advanced age that we are in, and would start taking things in slowly, not just trying to do everything at once.
This brings me to the second to last question, of what is success? I believe our society tends to shoot the ball higher than it is needed, in a sense. Success, to me in general, means to accomplish something with or without effort, and do well on it. Here, is where I think people tend to misconstrue success with “extraordinary”. If we want to succeed in something, we usually want to accomplish something; that is success. Sometimes we think in order to succeed, we must do the best we can, and push ourselves to the limit to do so. That is overshooting success. The bottom line is that we want to achieve and or accomplish something. Being extraordinary is shooting past your goals, and, in a sense, overdoing it.

Minnie Chappell

9/11/2012 09:00:31 am

Kendall, I totally agree with you and couldn't say it better myself! I like how you said "when we all strive to be the very best in our society, we forget how important it is to remember the small sweet moments that we share with our family and friends..." because your right we people do need to lower the expectations and just need to enjoy life. Your right also how if our society should slow down, it could help with many things, so we can take granted of what we have.

Minnie Chappell

9/11/2012 08:54:10 am

Her Column, related to me a lot because parents are wanting us to be perfect. They are pressuring us to do well in school, and tell us who we should and shouldn’t hang out with. It can cause a lot of stress on teens, leading to depression and much more. You don't have to be class president, or the most popular kid in school to be perfect. You have to be yourself, treat others with respect and just have good experiences in life. You only get to live once, so you want to make the most of it and bring along good memories with it. I believe that you should live up to your own expectations not someone else's. You do need to do your best in life though because that's whats going to get you to success. The definition of success, is to set a goal and do your best to reach it. Every one has a different talent whether its singing, dancing, art it doesn’t matter that makes them Extraordinary in there own way.

Daly Brister

9/11/2012 11:18:12 am

I agree with you that parents put a lot of pressure on young people today. I don't know if competition was as bad in their generation or if this has just formed in the past few generations. Regardless,It feels like it never stops, from parents to teachers to coaches. The pressure doesn't let up. I also agree that true success is measured in a person's personal ethics, not how the world would measure their success. People should measure their own happiness and know what is important to them as an individual.

Allie Schmid

9/11/2012 09:38:41 am

I do agree with this article, children these days are just way too pressured to become extraordinary. So where is the line drawn, where are the boundaries to being ordinary and being extraordinary? Between winning a basketball game with your friends or winning the gold medal in the Olympics, which one is extraordinary? The Olympics, right? But what if you had never won a basketball game against your friend before? I guess what I'm trying to say is that what may seem ordinary to you may seem extraordinary to others.

And what about reaching the highest level of extraordinary? Is there one, or can human beings just keep going and going, and going? Experts are saying that athletes competing in the Olympics are close to reaching the highest level of athleticism. That soon we will stop achieving all of these records, and soon, we will stop striving to do the extraordinary. So what will we do then?

The part I don't agree with Tugend on this article is when she said, “My job as a mother is not to get my son in the top college, but to enjoy ordinary life..." I think that we, or if when we have children, we do help them strive for the best they can do. I do believe that part of a mother's job is getting her child(ren) into the top colleges, or having great jobs. True, part of life is being ordinary, like going out with your friends and going to see a movie, playing video games, or making a pan of brownies with them. I want this to be a part of my life! I want to be ordinary, yet I want to be amazing! I want to hang out and relax and just enjoy life; but I also want to get into a top college and get an amazing job.

When everyone is extraordinary, isn't that the new ordinary? Human beings are always moving, adjusting, and adapting. The "old extraordinary" becomes the new ordinary, and a new level of extraordinary is born.

I think success is achieving your goals. Other people will definitely have different goals than me, and my success is making things happen; making what I want to become true, true.

Cameron Penny

9/13/2012 03:50:30 pm

I totally agree with you and couldn't have said it better myself. I liked your comparison to the Olympics when you talked about how making it to the Olympics is as extraordinary to someone, as winning a basketball game is to another. In the end, it comes down to the athletes themselves. Also, I thought the same thing when you said, "When everyone is extraordinary, isn't that the new ordinary?" As you said, basically, there are no limits to how extraordinary you can be. Also, your definition of success is very similar to mine.

Gaelen Martin

9/11/2012 10:21:06 am

There are some parts of this article that I completely agree with. However, there are some parts that I don't agree with. Some people may not completely understand the article. It's fine to live an ordinary life, but you should also set goals and dreams that you want to accomplish in the future. By setting goals you're imagining living an extraordinary life, but you aren't really living it. I also believe that many students would be happy with an average grade on a test, but many parents look for above average scores and grades. Sometimes the pressure parents but on their children can hurt them in the long run. If you have parents that continuously tell you that you're extraordinary and you're special, you may stop striving to do better. When you leave for college or apply for a job, other people may view you as something else.

I think society wouldn't be balanced very well if everyone is fighting over who is best, or extraordinary. If everyone begins to strive for that A+ or being special, than eventually they are no longer ordinary anymore. Basically, if everyone strives to be above average, given enough time, everyone will be average again. Yet, if everybody decides to stop trying and just be ordinary, than society would be just as unbalanced. It is hard to find a balance between ordinary and extraordinary.

My definition of success would be to make you feel proud of yourself. Success shouldn't be based on what other people think, or what other people have done in the past. Success should be when you've accomplished something that makes you happy with what you've done. Being extraordinary plays into success because someone who is successful in someone else's eyes may be viewed as being extraordinary. Extraordinary doesn't mean you have to be the best; it just means you have to be different than everybody else. Everyone should remember to be extraordinary, but to enjoy your life, too.

Hannah Monroe

9/14/2012 03:45:24 pm

I completely agree with you. People need to be happy with their accomplishments, but never settle for less than they are capable of. I also agree that with everyone trying to be the best it is extremely hard to stand out. Success should be based on how you feel about your accomplishments. I also agree with you again that life shouldn't be only obsessed with being the best. They need to live a little without completely disregarding their goals.

Carolyn Gauvin

9/11/2012 10:21:44 am

My opinion about the article is just that I can see where this mother is coming from, and I agree at times, but all in all, being ordinary or extraordinary are things that you decide to be. However, I think that being "ordinary" is not a bad thing at all, and that's what people need to consider. When everyone strives to be extraordinary, it causes our society to become a competition. People think extraordinary is comparing themselves to others to be the BEST among them, not among themselves. However, being extraordinary really means being the best YOU can be, and reaching YOUR fullest potential. If everyone only strives to be ordinary, we wouldn't have any excitement. Everyone would practically be on the same level and no one would stand out. To me, success means that you made a goal and you completed that goal, or did even better. It means you are winning against yourself. Being extraordinary plays into success because some people expect a lot out of themselves (which is great to do) and when they do better than before every time, that could prove to themselves that being successful just means being extraordinary :).

Daly Brister

9/11/2012 11:00:07 am

This article touches on some very interesting points. As far as putting too much pressure on yourself and your children goes, I am in complete agreement. It is difficult to distinguish a line between "the extraordinary" and "average" when The definitions seem to change with the wind. What's considered success one day may not be the next.
It is essential to anyone's self worth to know your limits and work them off in order to become a well rounded person. If we all strived to be ordinary, we would lose great future leaders and leave creative minds bored and unstimulated. If we all strived to be extraordinary, we would raise the standards in every category to unreachable heights. Practically Everyone is offered the opportunity to pursue their interests in this day and age, but day after day you see something that inspired a child when he was six, consume him when he is sixteen. Do what makes you happy, not just what you're good at or what society wants you to do. Balance in life is critical. It is important to keep your priorities straight and have some perspective in your life. If you feel that you are doing the best you can, Then you probably are. Success is knowing the point where pushing your limits stops and total consumption begins. If you wake up with a smile on your face and go to bed with a bigger one, you are a success in my eyes.

Allie Schmid

9/12/2012 07:52:29 am

I totally agree with you, Daly! There is so much pressure to be great these days, to be better than everyone else. Children's parents are planning their futures for them, planning what colleges they will be going to and even going so far as to tell their child what job they will have. I think that's just sad, the children should decide! It's their life, their future! They need to decide what they're going to do with it; if they are just going to throw it away or strive to be something great.

Now what you might think is great and extraordinary, others might think that to be completely average and ordinary. So it's all up to us to decide whether we are going to look at ourselves as average or extraordinary. We have choices, and we must make them.

I love your comment on how if you wake up with a smile on your face and a bigger one when you go to bed, you are a success. It really is true, and inspiring. Great job! :)

Allie Schmid

9/12/2012 07:52:36 am

Allie Schmid

9/12/2012 07:52:42 am

Allie

9/12/2012 07:54:18 am

oops

Imani Ware

9/14/2012 04:01:29 pm

I agree with you Daly. I agree with how the definition is different for everyone and changes all the time. Also, if everyone tries to be extraordinary than the bar would keep raising. That would be impossible for people to try to beat. Everyone should do what he or she would like to do and decide whether to be extraordinary or ordinary. However, we need people to be ordinary so there is a balanced amount of different people in the world. If people are happy with where they are, they have succeeded. Also, I like your very last sentence, “If you wake up with a smile on your face and go to bed with a bigger one, you are a success in my eyes,” because it is very well put and it is a great way to sum up your view point on this subject.

Shelby Mayes

9/11/2012 12:55:46 pm

In some ways I agree with this article. I agree that people shouldn't set goals to please others but to please them self. I think the article was well written and intelligently put. One of societies many problems is making people feel like they aren't good enough. Once everyone strives for extraordinary or becomes extraordinary, no will will necessarily be "all that" anymore and exceptional will be the new normal. I don't think society would function properly if we all strived for "enough" we all need motivation and some of us feed off of others achievements in order to push forward. I think success is being confident in something that you've done and being proud of yourself. When you are extraordinary and other people think you're extraordinary as well then you can be proud of yourself which is my definition of success.

Jarret Osmialowski

9/13/2012 10:08:11 am

Shelby, I agree with you on this within your point of view. I like how you describe the article and show your feelings toward it. I think you are right that people should not set goals to please others, but rather than to please themselves. This is a very well written blog and I enjoyed reading it.

Robert Garner

9/14/2012 01:28:24 pm

I agree with you Shelby. People's goal shouldn't be for others, but for themselves. You are right when you say that one of society's problems is making people feel like they aren't good enough. I also really like on how you defined the word "success".

Hannah Monroe

9/11/2012 01:32:15 pm

I agree that everyone can put too much pressure on others to be extraordinary, but where would we be without that. I would bet that nearly all Olympic athletes wanted to quit their sport at some point, but kept at it to not disappoint their parents or coach. Without that pressure records today would not be set. I do think that everyone should strive to be the best they can be on their own terms, but at some point in life we all just want to give up what we are doing because its too hard or too competitive. Which brings me to another point. Without competition we would be nothing. Everyone would be average. No one would have the drive to do anything. We may be viewed as ordinary, but that partially wrong, too. Everyone is extraordinary in their own way, therefore no one is extraordinary because we are all so different. I think that when everyone is striving to be extraordinary it takes us to new heights that no one before thought we would reach. If you have gotten to a place in your life where you are satisfied and feel good about where you are you have succeeded. Being extraordinary plays in to being successful because the people who have succeeded are the most extraordinary people of all.

Cameron Penny

9/11/2012 01:42:48 pm

I completely agree with Alina Tugend. What she wrote has significance and I couldn’t have put it better. My favorite part of the whole article was when she said that the message isn’t to settle for life but to embrace it and aspire to goals because they are important to you, not because you want to impress your parents, your community or your friends. Most people only strive to impress other people, but, really, the only person you should have to impress is yourself. She said, “Climb the mountain not to plant your flag, but to embrace the challenge, enjoy the air and behold the view. Climb it so you can see the world, not so the world can see you.”

Personally, I think that when we all strive to be extraordinary, we all can, because it should be based on your personal goals not striving to be better than someone else. For example, you might think that to be an extraordinary swimmer, you have to be as good as or better than Michael Phelps, which is not the case. To be an extraordinary swimmer you must set your own goal and achieve it, which is the definition of success.

If we all just strived to be ordinary, we would all just be the same and society would be really boring. If we didn’t strive for success the world would not be getting anywhere. It’s okay to be average sometimes, but everyone should otherwise go for his or her goals.

As I said earlier, my definition to success is to achieve goals in life. Basically, accomplish what you want to accomplish and that is success. Being extraordinary can play a part in this because your goals in life should be extraordinary to you.

Gaelen Martin

9/13/2012 10:23:30 am

I completely agree with everything you said. I also believe that everyone shouldn't try to impress others but to achieve their own unique goals. You also quoted one of my favorite parts of the article, “Climb the mountain not to plant your flag, but to embrace the challenge, enjoy the air and behold the view. Climb it so you can see the world, not so the world can see you.” I think that this quote is a very significant part of this article. It just states that you shouldn't rush to the top and try to be the best, but to eventually reach the top and enjoy your journey on the way up. Your comparison to being a swimmer and trying to do better also made sense. When you set goals in life they should be something you can celebrate yourself, not to just to be better than others. Goals shouldn't be set to impress people around you, but just yourself. All in all, I believe your statements were truthful.

Max Vineyard

9/11/2012 02:43:45 pm

I think we are living in a world where an extraordinary person is usually the person who is striving to be the best. take the Olympics for example some are there to destroy the competition and others are just glad to be there. We all have something that we are blessed with and if we choose to really follow that something you could possibly be an expert in that field. I think that being successful is the ability to do something to like. If you can get paid and enjoy your job then I would call that person successful. There are tons of people getting straight A's but have no personality. Usually with everything good about a person there is always that one thing that is not so enjoyable.

Austin White

9/12/2012 12:27:56 pm

Max, that was very well said, some people don't do things cause they want other people do notice them or look up to them like the Olympics, Some people are just happy to be there. Also your correct a successful person is not someone who makes a lot of money but hates there job or get's straight A's, Its more of what you enjoy and you, yourself's opinion. No one should have to do something just so people think there "successful" its what you like to do and have a good personality. Very well sad Max good job!

Emma Kriechbaumer

9/11/2012 03:06:37 pm

I very much agree with what this article had to say. Society nowadays is constantly pressuring us to be the best, the skinniest, the prettiest, the most popular and we need to stop and realized that all of those things, as much as we may want them, aren’t important. Our world is full of so many people, billions of human beings striving to be perfection and to fill the shoes of that “extraordinary” person and the more we do this the more we raise the standards for ourselves and for other people. Everyone needs to take time out of their day and think about the importance in their life and focus on that. Why should we stress ourselves out so much to be so extraordinary? Why isn’t just being true to ourselves enough? Just like she said in her article, we should not settle for life but we should embrace it and aspire to our goals. That is very important to live by and I think if everyone steps back and realizes to do that our world would not be so stressed, concerned and even violent.

To me success is happiness. In my eyes, once you are happy you can achieve anything and reach any goal. Success in many people’s eyes is money, and I don’t believe that to be the case in most situations. Money is great, and we definitely need a sufficient amount to keep us alive these days but I don’t think that money is the true definitely of success. Sure, the amount of our check at the end of the month can sometimes determine whose job is higher or who is more successful in the business world but that is not all that matters. Being extraordinary plays into success when we are focusing on doing our best at something. We need to go above and beyond sometimes if we do want to succeed in what we are doing and move on to higher things. Like I said in the first sentence, success is happiness and everything that I have discussed can come from truly just that.

Max Vineyard

9/13/2012 03:50:41 pm

I like how you say society is constantly pressuring us to be that extraordinary person who is so perfect they might as well be the world's president. We all have imperfections and that is what makes us human. I also really liked how you said success is happiness and I completely agree with you. I think the happiness really ties in with jobs. If you can get paid to do something you love than you cant ask for a better life. But it doesn't always happen that way in fact more people dislike their job and would much rather do something else. Its like trying to keep an Olympic athlete behind a desk all his or her life.

Kate Nichols

9/11/2012 11:49:36 pm

I enjoyed the article, because the topic was pretty original and I have not read anything like it before. Everything I've read that was somewhat about this topic was all about how you have to be extraordinary, have to be unoriginal, not normal.
But while I thought it was an original read, I didn't really agree with it. My parents have taught me that anything I want to do, anything I want to achieve in life is within my grasp, I just have to make the right choices and try. I do try to get into the higher level classes. I do try my best in all of my classes. I want an extraordinary life, because I've had a pretty normal one so far, since I've been living in Coronado for as long as I really remember. I want to be extraordinary.
Also, I don't see that everyone is in this race. Yes, lots of people are, but that's usually because there parents are pushing them into it, which isn't a bad thing. But, if everyone pushes for extraordinary, then there will be no extraordinary. Only normal. Which, it's why that some people praise and enjoy being normal. Everything needs balance, and they're helping with that.
My definition of success is accomplishing whatever you're looking to do. And yes, being extraordinary plays into success, because if you're extraordinary, you may set your goals so far out or so close and be either achieving what's really easy, or always striving for more.

Savannah Welch

9/13/2012 12:35:50 pm

Kate, I loved how you blended all of the questions together! It was easier to read instead of your writing being choppy with all the "I disagree with the author because..." and, "My definition of success is..." I just thought I'd add that. :)

Anyways, I agree with you on the aspect that there are those slackers who don't strive for anything but to receive a passing grade in class, while others want exceptional grades that will allow them to possibly become valedictorian. I also agree with you that parents are usually the people pushing their kids to strive for higher goals. They just want their kids to do better than they did in school (unless they're a self-centered parent who wants to be better than their kid, which would be strange).

Even so, I agree that I want an extraordinary life, too, which is where that overused term YOLO comes in. You only have one life, so why not live it to the fullest? Have higher goals that will take you to better places in life so that you can be happy, and later on, have a good family.

Savannah Welch

9/12/2012 07:13:30 am

I can understand where Tugend is coming from when she says that parents and teachers are all set on making students strive to go above and beyond with awards and grades, instead of just focusing on the important traits that make people special. I agree with her to an extent, since she talks about how being extraordinary is not the main purpose in life. However, I do disagree with her because I believe that students should set personal goals where they push THEMSELVES to be extraordinary with grades, awards, and extracurricular activities, instead of other people doing all the pushing.

If everyone in our society was striving to be extraordinary, then the standards would be too high for anyone to achieve anything. Also, if people in our society strove to be ordinary, then nobody would get anything done and life would be pretty darn dull. Like I said before, success comes with pushing yourself, and by pushing yourself to go above and beyond, you will achieve success.

Kate Nichols

9/14/2012 10:19:36 pm

I agree with you as well. People should try achieve their goals using their own will, their own motivation. Because if they don't learn to be motivated and just settle for the 'oridinary', oridinary could potentially mean whatever's in reach without much effort or time spent. And, that's just not really a good way to be.

TaLiThA jOhNsOn

9/12/2012 08:15:59 am

After reading Harry Potter for the first time in 3rd grade, everyone was talking about it. "I want to be a witch/wizard!" "I hope I get a letter from Hogwarts when I turn 11!" I completely agreed with this wishful thinking, but don't people still get along in life fine without the special attributes of magic, or in this case, extraordinary amounts of talent?

troll face

9/12/2012 09:08:07 am

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Anti-Troll face

9/12/2012 11:08:11 am

wow...

SOPA

9/13/2012 01:07:23 pm

Your computer's soul is pirated. You will be taken into custudy by the NSA (No Such Agency) and taken to corporate head quarters where you will be waterboarded to death unless you sell out your friend who help you pirate software/audio intertainment. This is public your after 24 hours, if you have not reported to the police station for your immediate arrest we shall be forced to use lethal force.

Nathan Gehlken

9/13/2012 02:05:58 pm

uhhhh...Ms. Lago???

Robert Garner

9/12/2012 09:18:19 am

I disagree with Tugend, people need to strive to become special and extraordinary. This is a must because without the urge to become better and different, we may not advance as a culture as fast as we need. With upcoming environmental issues and the rush for better technology, we will need as many people as possible working as hard as they can and being extraordinary as possible. When we all strive to become extraordinary people the standards may be raised very high and hard to reach, but if we as a group are able to achieve that goal, then nothing will be impossible for the human race. But if nobody strives to become extraordinary, and everyone works hard to be ordinary, then we may never advance and become more advanced with important technology. My definition of success is not getting special awards, but it is being better than the majority of your peers. If you work hard and become extraordinary, then you are definitely successful.

Robert Garner

9/13/2012 10:00:54 am

Imani Ware

9/12/2012 10:10:11 am

I agree with the article because I know that we students have a lot of stress and pressure put on us to be *extraordinary* at everything—school, sports, LIFE— when we have to “reach for the stars” and to be the best, and if I have just quoted your parents, then think about what you want to do in life and find your happiness. I know when you think of ordinary, you think it’s lame or unsatisfactory, but I am telling you ordinary, or normal, is not bad. It just means to live your life as you want to live it and reach your goals to the best of your ability. This might sound like the weird, motivational things you find in your agenda, but I find out that they can be true, for the most part. I know I am one to talk about being *extraordinary* when I want to be the best soccer player in the world and go to the Olympics in 2016, but I set that goal, not my coach, not my parents, but me, myself, and I. Everyone knows that I LOVE SOCCER and MESSI, but I made my goal and I will live my life to the best of MY abilities. So, the moral of this subject is to live life to your “normal” and be what you want to be.

Daniela Ruffo

9/14/2012 12:56:43 pm

I totally agree with. Children should not have the stress of their parents expecting too much of them. People should only do they best that they can and not push themselves too much. People shouldn't think that ordinary is lame because if that's all you could do, then you shouldn't be pressured into doing something you can't and be happy with what you have. I love the way you worded your paragraph and agree with you 100 percent!!!

Jarret Osmialowski

9/12/2012 11:07:33 am

I agree with this article. I think this article makes sense and is a good source for inspiration. I would not think of myself as ordinary, I'm anything but... I believe that there shouldn't be anyone that tries to be ordinary, because what will that person be? Another gray blob amongst other gray blobs? You shouldn't be afraid to be extraordinary, and it's not bad to be extraordinary, it's a way to set yourself apart from the common, and become something else. If everyone was extraordinary, then the world would sure be... Well... Different... And very interesting... Now, if everyone strived to be just ordinary, the again, society would become a gray blob and everyone else would become a gray blob (metaphorically of course) and there would be no point in doing anything interesting. My definition of success is being different and doing something that you think of and being your own master of mind and if you are happy and you haven't turned into a "gray blob" then that is success in my opinion.

Sydney Althof

9/12/2012 12:15:14 pm

I totally understand what they are saying but I also know that I don't to be "ordinary" like what they are talking about. I know that almost everyone wants to be different and unique then others. But, I also agree that maybe being ordinary is not such a bad thing. I think that it makes people feel special when they are out of the ordinary, or just outstanding. Maybe even have a different quirk than everyone else. i.e. me I'm a little more hyper than everyone. But I really thing that if we all start trying to strive to be weird, outstanding, different/ or unique that will become to be our ordinary.

Tom Holman

9/12/2012 12:32:12 pm

My opinion on the article is that the author does have some very good points. If everyone strives to be average, then some people might be less discriminated. However, striving to be the extraordinary is what puts us aside from others. Sure someone could have average grades, average physical status, or even average beliefs; but no one is exactly “average”. I agree with Tugend when she states that you can be extraordinary by being compassionate and living a life of integrity. I also partially agree when she talks about the book “The Gifts of Imperfection” and how the book claims “…an ordinary life has become synonymous with a meaningless life”.
If all of us strived to be the average Joe, life for us wouldn’t be entertaining. If a star athlete has the same talent as the rest of his teammates and opponents, what’s the point of watching or going to that game? However, if we all strived to be extraordinary and unique, then perhaps we might see the unknown in the ordinary person. Maybe someone who never thought he could be an artist becomes the next Picasso. Maybe a lazy teenager will be a future president. Success is a wonderful thing when you know you worked hard and earned it. Success means to fulfill a goal you set and achieve it, and you may look back at it and be happy with yourself. Being extraordinary in a positive way can set you up for great success. Being the best at a specific thing is the greatest feeling, and staying positive can further that happiness.

Jason Leary

9/12/2012 02:11:54 pm

Good on you Tom. I really enjoyed reading this comment. I can tell you put time and effort into this. I agree with you on everything and it's really just a great response in all. Keep up the good work.

Shane McCartney

9/12/2012 02:03:01 pm

i agree with the article, someone (parents as an example) always want us to as perfect as we can be. if everyone was to be extraordinary, a lot less people would be discriminated, just like what tom said. If we all are trying to be ordinary, then no one would try their hardest to do what they like to do. My definition of success is achieving a specific goal you set for yourself in life. Like my goal is to go to Florida State and get a degree in Criminal Justice with a couple of my friends, and then go to New york city and join the NYPD and become a SWAT member. i am going to acheive this goal by learning all of the rights we have as Americans and get into more government things, and talk to a couple cops and see what they had to do to get to the SWAT team. Being extraordinary plays into success by never giving up on your goal or goals set.

Gregg Gonzalez

9/12/2012 02:04:25 pm

This author has some points that are pretty good. Many people stride to become extraordinary but what IF everyone wanted to be ordinary. Life would be super boring. For example, all sports players were the same level of skill and the games were boring, that would not be any fun. But when everybody is striving to be great in their own ways, things would be so much better. That is what also leads to success. Success is achieved when a extraordinary person does something great to accomplish goals. If someone wanted to achieve success while be ordinary, they would not be able to accomplish it. Without success, life would be almost nothing. That is my review of this article.

Jason Leary

9/12/2012 02:09:09 pm

I agree with the article and I think Tugend has some great points. Our society is always striving to be the wealthiest, most popular, get attention, be the most attractive, and the best. This is not making our society any better. It is a contest which no one can win. I think we can only take a gander at what will happen if everyone strives to be ordinary. My definition of succes is to be happy. I think being extraordinary does tie into being successful. If you want to be successful, you need to try hard and believe, and that is being extraordinary.

Blake Aull

9/12/2012 03:22:45 pm

I agree with this comment completely. You could not have said it better, Jason. I agree with your definition of success also. I think your final sentence is very inspirational. Good response.

Austin Tammaro

9/13/2012 12:32:43 am

I think you hit the nail on the head jason. Being amazing doesn't make everyone around you better, and sometimes can do the opposite on their self esteem. Your definition of success to me is very good, and almost on par with mine! Thanks for your input on the matter!

Oliver Palmieri

9/13/2012 02:59:38 pm

You both have very interesting meanings of success. Which both of which i agree with. What you both said about self esteem is huge to me and i think our country. Austin you also used a very good metaphor for Jason's piece. I also found it very interesting how Jason made a list of things that most people are striving for. That really made me think. I also think that i am the first one to reply to a reply of a reply and is that allowed?

Daniela Ruffo

9/12/2012 02:20:55 pm

I do agree with this article. People do get too caught up in being extraordinary and don't remember to stop and smell the roses. I loved the quote that said when you're climbing a mountain you have to enjoy the journey to the top and not just looking forward to accomplishing the task. People need to realize that sometimes they set too many goals and don't take their time to enjoy life as it comes. I'm not saying that setting good life goals are bad, but you just need to know your strengths and don't let yourself get pushed too hard. My definition of success is being the best you can be. Of course, your parents want you to be perfect, but you should be your definition of perfect and no one else's. People know what they're good at and what they're not, so all you could do is try to improve your weaknesses and show off your strengths.This article really did get me to think about certain things on my life and it will help me on my future.

Oliver Palmieri

9/12/2012 02:28:59 pm

My opinion on the article, is not pleasant. I completely disagree with what the article had to say. I believe that everyone should strive to be extraordinary. I believe that if everyone in America strived to become extraordinary, it would be a better place. We would have people trying harder in their jobs, more people solving difficult problems, people being better people and many more great things. Everyone would be happy knowing they had a hard works day, and there would be better results in every aspect of America. Society would be changed and the new normal would be being extraordinary, making people who were average different. So from this you could probably guess that my definition of success is just trying hard to succeed even if you don’t make it. I also think that being extraordinary helps play into success because if you are trying at something that few people are trying, it will be easiyer for you to be the one to succeed compared to when the entire country is trying for one thing. That is my opinion of the matter of being ordinary of extraordinary.

Gregg Gonzalez

9/14/2012 03:14:00 pm

I completely agree with you Oliver! If everyone if everyone did strive to be extraordinary, the world would be a better place. You couldn't have said it better. The way you discribed success was also great. I like how you wrote this blog. Good job!

Blake Aull

9/12/2012 03:18:52 pm

I think she has a good point.You can still have an exciting and interesting life even if you're not rich and famous. I completely agree with Tugend. The problem with having everyone try hard to do better in their jobs is that everyone would be working hard and then they would expect a raise in their salary and the companies might not be able to afford that raise. If they couldn't pay the salaries of their workers then the workers would most likely be laid off or just quit.If we were all extraordinary then extraordinary would become ordinary. If we all strived to be ordinary the bar would be set lower and the country would fall apart.My definition of succes is being content about where you are in life and with your accomplishments. Most people automatically think of extraordinary people when they think of success. This is partly untrue because most of the successful people in the world started out small and worked hard for their money. What im trying to say is that you dont need a special skill to be successful, all you need is hard work and good intentions.

Shane McCartney

9/14/2012 03:11:33 pm

I completely agree with you for everything, Blake. Our definition of success is pretty similar. I thnk that your whole response was a great one, good job

Tom Holman

9/15/2012 05:05:26 pm

Wow, Blake, I never really thought of it that way. If everyone is extraordinary, then the extraordinary will just be ordinary. However, I think that some people might be unique and have different talents, so maybe your saying isn't completely true. Although I still really like your response and I like your perspective on this subject

Austin Tammaro

9/13/2012 12:30:40 am

While I agree living an extra ordinary life is great, not everyone can or will make it to the top. Im not trying to be mean but some people just are ordinary people. I can set me as an example, I've never really done something awesome, im good at most things, but not awesome. I feel like sometimes we need to sit down where ever we are and think of the little things that make us happy. If everyone is striving to be amazing, whos gonna be there when they fall? success can be interpreted as alot of things, to me its living a happy life with people you love. To me being extra ordinary doesn't have anything to do with success, you don't have to be awesome to be successful.

Nathan Gehlken

9/13/2012 02:18:12 pm

Well, thanks to "troll face," my blog was deleted and i have to start over. I think that the article was very interesting and for the most part I agreed. I think striving for the extraordinary is good, but when everyone else is, the world becomes very, very competitive. People would lose their values and sense of what's right and wrong, and would be blackmailing and tricking people left and right. If everyone strived for the ordinary there wouldn't be much competition, but that would mean no one would choose to better themselves. This topic is fragile and turbulent, probably argued over frequently, and it's probably an argument that won't be solved or resolved.

My idea of success is when you are doing well and you are safe and you are happy with your current situation, and don't "need" anything, and you have everything that is necessary, and that you yourself are proud of what you have done and accomplished. Being extraordinary plays into success by being a motivation and a let down...If you have set high goals to be "your view" of extraordinary you may not meet all of those goals and yo will get your title of extraordinary evoked, by only you, of course. It can also motivate you to be the best you can be and try your hardest in everything you do.....this is late and I won't receive credit but I wanted to respond..

Jake Little

9/13/2012 02:34:05 pm

Nathan I completely agree! You don't have to be famous to be extraordinary. You don't need these thousand of rare arctic jewels to possess individuality. I love that people don't just think in the same mind set of "Ok I gotta be special and be special all the time". Living a simple life is fu-filling and something I'd love to do. I think from being your friends you're defiantly extraordinary and your not this huge diverse person, but to me you are.

Nathan Gehlken

9/13/2012 02:36:58 pm

Thank you very much Jake I think you are extraordinary as well in the way you don't act like anyone else or strive to be some big-shot get rich quick lose it fast kind of guy..and anyway...when you do have a lot of money or gaudy possessions it can get to your head...

Extraordinay vs. an Ordinary Life

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