Why Is It So Hard to Be Ordinary?
The article explores the tension between striving for excellence and accepting ordinariness in life, particularly in youth sports. It highlights how societal pressures can lead to dissatisfaction with regular experiences, as individuals often feel compelled to pursue greatness. This struggle between wanting extraordinary achievements and embracing mediocrity is a common human experience.
- ▪Youth sports often reflect a conflict between striving for excellence and enjoying the game.
- ▪Many children participate in sports not for love but due to parental influence.
- ▪Society's relentless pursuit of excellence can overshadow the value of ordinary experiences.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Open QuestionsWhy Is It So Hard to Be Ordinary?It’s what most of us are, most of the time. Shouldn’t it be enough?By Joshua RothmanMay 22, 2026Illustration by Josie NortonSave this storySave this storySave this storySave this storyYou’re reading Open Questions, Joshua Rothman’s weekly column exploring what it means to be human.My son’s Little League season started not long ago. A few games in, a sign appeared, mounted to a chain-link fence at the ballpark. Under the heading “Please Remember,” it offered a five-point list:These are KIDS.This is a GAME.Coaches are VOLUNTEERS.Umpires are HUMAN.No scholarships will be handed out today.The sign concluded, “Thank you”—without, I noticed, a chipper exclamation point.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The New Yorker.
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