As others have said, mediocrity is relative. So is stupidity and genius. Growing up and becoming (something of) an adult, the one thing that still constantly s

As others have said, mediocrity is relative. So is stupidity and genius. Growing up and becoming (something of) an adult, the one thing that still constantly surprises me is the huge amount of mediocrity surrounding me, and not just that: they're succesful and happy. Part of the reason for this surprise is that I generally surround myself with people that are at the very least not much more mediocre than me, and often people that are on par or 'better' than me. If you're a PhD student, you're clearly not 'mediocre' by most standards. And I suspect you're in a competitive environment full of people that are either very smart, or trying to prove they are. So then ask yourself: who am I comparing myself to, and why is it important to do so. There's always someone 'better', so thinking in this way is futile. My general approach to life is this: if I feel like the smartest person I know, I should find more smarter friends. If I feel intimidated or bad by those around me, I should perhaps find friends that are equal or less smart then me. I've been in both situations. Incidentally, many of those I thought smarter than me really weren't. And those of my friends that are 'dumber' then me make up with that in a myriad of other ways, since fortunately being smart isn't all there is.