“The tendency of democracies is, in all things, to mediocrity.” ~ James Fenimore Cooper

Creating a culture of rewarding and celebrating conformity in being ordinary.

Unlike Socrates, Mediocrates is not a historically known individual but rather a satirical, fictional “god” or “philosopher” representing mediocrity and the pursuit of average intelligence or skill: Seek not to excel…

Mediocracy: a dominant class consisting of mediocre people, where mediocrity is celebrated and rewarded. Welcome to the herd.

Mediocre: of only ordinary or moderate quality; neither good nor bad; barely adequate.

The Socratic Method encourages argumentative and cooperative dialogue to stimulate critical thinking by posing questions and then responding to them, thereby eliciting ideas and information.

The Mediocratic Method accepts conventional wisdom without question.

Key steps to the attainment of personal mediocrity:

* Procrastination, never do today what you can put off ‘till tomorrow

* Zero-tasking – don’t set goals

* Acceptance of failure – it is, after all, inevitable

* Never ever try to change the world, you’ll only fail, see the item above

* No original thinking – hive or herd mentality, it’s all about the collective

* Never network or discuss your ideas or thoughts – no one cares anyway

* Do everything possible to get to a yes – consensus is all that matters, democracy

* Be a poor judge of character and people – acceptance is the key, judging is wrong

* Follow the leader, whoever that is, usually the one with the loudest voice; ideas are optional, but genuinely stupid ideas supersede all others

I thought I’d begin this opinion column with two quotes that caught my eye as I was reading this morning.

“Our daily lives are so mundane, we get taken over by what is immediately in front of us, and we don’t see beyond that.” ~ Benedict Cumberbatch

This opinion column is about Merka’s passionate pursuit of mediocrity. I realize that this sentence doesn’t make sense because passion implies a compelling desire, and mediocrity is about being ordinary and passive, but consider the amount of time and energy we expend in being ordinary.

Everything in this century supports well-defined normalcy; even our zealous pursuit of democracy demands obedience and orthodoxy in the system’s doctrine. We no longer strive; we settle for what’s conveniently commonplace to embrace the narrative. The standard is set, and we fall in line. Unfortunately, our steadily decreasing standards now comprise conventions intended to include everyone, avoiding any exclusivity or differentiation.

Democracy is defined as government by the people, but in true Merkan style, we’ve corrupted our chosen form of government to be everything but a form of government. It’s redefined to mean Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity (DIE), to include the largest possible contingent of people, and everything not in the original definition of the democratic principle. It has become a political tool to remove administrative choice from the people’s purview, allowing for absolute control of the republic. The original idea of representative government by the people is now the vehicle by which the US Constitution is manipulated to serve the interests of an elite class of partisan politicians and judges.

Communism is an advanced form of socialism, and since Democratic Socialism is the transition state from capitalism to socialism, I submit that we are in transition to Communism as part of our final societal conversion.

As the name implies, socialism/communism is the shared or public ownership of resources and means of production that leads to a more equal society: the individual contributes according to their ability, and receives according to their needs, or… from each according to their ability. It’s the epitome of Merka today. More simply put, it is the Merkan Welfare State, where those who have, fund those who don’t.

Ayn Rand wrote “Atlas Shrugged” about communism, a classless, stateless society where the means of production are owned by the community as a whole, leading to a more advanced principle of “from each according to his ability, to each according to his need”. However, there is a need in any ideology for a leadership class, putting a gaping hole in the central premise of communism – being classless and stateless.

“How do you tell a Communist?
Well, it’s someone who reads Marx and Lenin.
And how do you tell an anti-Communist?
It’s someone who understands Marx and Lenin.” ~ Ronald Reagan – 1987

The incentive is not to contribute but to need; it rewards mediocrity. There is a definite need for a social safety net, but when coupled with programs that incentivize victimhood, it can lead to the perpetuation and persistence of mediocrity.

Why pursue excellence when being average or, better yet, sub-par is rewarded?

The eventual failure comes from a lack of innovation and invention. Why strive when you’re socialized and trained not to?

Think ‘grading on a curve.’

AI explains: Grading on a curve, also known as normative grading, is a method of evaluating student performance by comparing them against each other, rather than using a contrived grading scale. It aims to create a specific grade distribution, often resembling a bell curve, where most students receive average grades (such as a C, which is average), and fewer students receive high or low grades, avoiding ‘A’s or ‘F’s. This is Merkan edukashun.

It rewards average performance, discourages high performance, lowers their achievements to fit the curve, and rewards poor performers by raising theirs. Mediocratic equity is the goal. Democratic socialism is governing on a curve. It rewards mediocracy by discouraging exceptionalism.

Where is the incentive to create if that creation will be seized and given to the collective?

I admit I think like a capitalist because that’s how I was raised. I learned that effort is rewarded. When I want something, I work for it. If it doesn’t exist, create it. And… if you’re really into the effort/reward ethos, you make almost everything yourself and delight in the accomplishments of that effort.

My writing over the past 20 years exemplifies this principle. I don’t make a dime doing this; in fact, it costs me to support this passion, but I learn something new with every column as I research the topic. I am writing to inform, hoping to open minds. Music is another pastime that allowed me to follow a passion.

What’s the difference between pizza and a musician? A pizza can feed a family of three.

I enjoy writing and finding those who use AI to create content to be the ardent students of Mediocrates and acolytes of the ordinary. That’s not to say that I refuse to use AI, but I label its responses with “AI” to indicate the source when using generated content. It’s a marvelous research tool, but that’s my limit; however, I will not disparage those who use AI extensively.

I’m fortunate to have lived during this high-tech revolution and experienced the marvels of technology firsthand. I’ve seen the impacts, both positive and negative, and how it’s changed an industrious nation of innovators into a throng of undistinguished and uninspired drones. This is what I referred to in the opening paragraphs about Merka’s passionate pursuit of mediocrity.

Things that can enhance our lives can have unintended consequences. I’m sure that if you thought about examples in your life, you could list several. Mankind will always find misuse of an invention, corrupting its intended purpose. The Cellphone is one such device.

I call your attention to the ‘Cell-Phone Zombies’ meandering the streets of Merka, distracted by the digital device pressed to their ear, or tethered by earbuds, in constant communication with the program de jure, constantly linked to their favorite indoctrination channel.

~ Pet Peeve… Using the Speakerphone option unnecessarily. This is the height of laziness. Sitting in public, cellphones in their lap, forcing others to listen to their programming or conversation, too goddamn lazy to hold the fucking thing to their ear; by the way… earbuds are very inexpensive and designed to create a private listening environment. Using the Speakerphone option in public is the epitome of arrogance! But… that’s mediocrity in Merka.

The extensions of cellular technology include wearable appliances such as watches, headphones, earpieces, and eyeglasses equipped with communication technology, freeing your hands while maintaining perpetual contact with the machine. Yet we’re so distracted by it that we fail to recognize prominent warnings of danger, concentrating on programming and ignoring the oncoming vehicle we’re about to step in front of, or the lamp post in our path. We wander through life technically distracted.

The next time you’re out and about, count the number of people NOT using a cell phone, but be careful not to put yourself in peril.

What makes you unique as a person? Think about this for a moment. What conventions do you follow? I’m sure there are some, and that’s not a bad thing. I follow more than I care to count, but I am aware of my predilections. I’ve made a conscious decision to adopt them.

* AI is another of these inventions.

* Ask your favorite AI interface why it was created to discover more.

* Consider the controversy and AI’s implications.

* Students are turning to AI to complete assignments.

* Some people even turn to AI for companionship, comfort, and counsel.

AI can write poetry, stories, computer code, music, and news releases, but they are nothing more than computer renderings and summations of someone else’s work.

I asked AI if its work is considered original… AI replied… For legal and copyright purposes, a work created solely by AI is generally not considered “original” because it lacks the human authorship required for protection. However, works created with AI assistance can be considered original if they involve significant human creative input. Ask AI this question as well, if you’re interested.

Since AI is a complex collection of computer code and programs that retrieve information from the extensive cache of data available worldwide, AI follows its instruction sets and amalgamates that information with incredible speed to present a response in a selected format. That’s what a computer does. AI – artificial intelligence is, as its name implies, not human. It’s designed to appear as human as is humanly possible. However, by design and through its programming, it provides a statistical and programmatic average of the available data in your preferred format.

AI is Average Interpretation – it is the very definition of mediocrity. There is nothing unique or original about it. It’s not creative, it’s not innovative, it’s not imaginative, but AI is the future of Merka!

Popular music is a marvelous example. Every genre has a specific sound, beat, and signature that makes it quite generational. Listen to Rap or Hip-Hop music as an example. A prominent musician friend of mine calls Hip-Hop and Rap the musical Etch A Sketch, because it certainly isn’t art. Everything sounds the same! Yet isn’t that what defines generational music?

If our goal as a species is mediocrity, I’d say we’re nailing it. We excel at seeking the lowest common denominator, pursuing it passionately. Every fiber of our collective being is devoted to normalizing everything from educational indoctrination to societal behavior, fashion to footwear, politics to religion, speech to thought, and everything that made America a great nation. We seek mediocrity through collective mediocracy.

Merka is a nation of clones… Send in the Clones!!!

“It’s a disease. Nobody thinks, feels, or cares anymore; nobody gets excited or believes in anything except their own comfortable little God damn mediocrity.” ~ Richard Yates

September 8, 2025

Unabashedly,

Charles R Dickens
For the Amalgamated Heavy

~ the Author ~

Charles R. Dickens Was Born in 1951, Is a Veteran of the Vietnam War, for Which He Volunteered, and the Great-Great Grandson of the Noted Author, Whose Name He Shares.

He Is a Fiercely Proud American, Who Still Believes This Is the Greatest Country on the Planet, With Which We’ve Lost Control and Certainly Our Direction. He Grew Up in Moderate Financial Surrounding; We’re Not Rich by Any Stretch, but Didn’t Go Hungry – His Incredibly Hard Working Father Saw to That. As Most From That Era, He Learned About Life From His Father, Whose Story Would Take Too Long to Tell, Other Than to Say That, He Is Also a Fiercely Proud American; A WWII and Korean War, Veteran Marine.

Charlie Was Educated in the Parochial System Which, Demanded That You Actually Learn Something, and Have Capability to Retain It Before You Advance. He Attended Several Universities in Pursuit of a Bachelor’s Degree, and Chased the Goose Further to a Master’s, and Has Retained Some Very Definite Ideas About Education in This Country.

in Addition, Charlie Is a Retired Blues Guitar and Vocalist – a Musician. This Was His Therapy Career. Nothing Brings Him as Much Joy as Playing Music, and He Wishes That He Could Make a Living at It… but Alas… Life Goes on!