The Reasons Most People Become Mediocre

Because they were conditioned by external motivation from childhood, they’ve lost their internal drive.

There once was an old man who had a large garden with a sizable lawn. The kids in the neighborhood would always come by to play soccer, making so much noise that the old man could hardly find peace.

He asked them to leave, but nobody listened—there were too many kids, and he couldn’t possibly notify every single parent. So he came up with a plan. He told them, “I’m old and lonely. As long as you’re willing to come play soccer every day, I’ll give you money every day.” At first, the number of kids showing up to play surged, and things got lively for several days. Then, he started reducing the amount he gave—from $2 per kid per day, down to $1, then 30 cents, and eventually nothing.

That’s when the kids stopped coming altogether.

Why? Because they developed loss aversion—the old man had shifted their expectations.

The original “route” the kids had built was based on the joy of playing soccer itself; the more they played, the more they wanted to keep playing.

But the old man’s money disrupted that, shifting their motivation toward external rewards. They started coming only because they were being paid. Once they got used to it, they began to see soccer as a job: “Why should I keep playing if you’re not paying me?”

Most adults fall into the same trap. After growing up accustomed to the logic of “you pay me, I work; no pay, no interest,” they lose the ability to do anything without an external incentive. Things they could have excelled at become abandoned, simply because money is involved—and now they don’t even want to move. Their potential for growth evaporates.

And over time, they can become so rigid that they no longer sense any meaning or purpose in life.