The Big Idea
What does the average person look like? In 2011, National Geographic crunched the data. They are a 28 year-old, Han Chinese, mandarin speaking, right handed male. His income is less than $12,000 USD per year. He has a cell phone, but no bank account.
By 2030, it is expected that the most-typical person will be a 26 year-old male from India.
The lesson? Typical is always changing.
How about we narrow it down a bit more. What does the average American look like today?
According to the CDC 82.7% of Americans are overweight;
The median 401k (retirement account) balance is $35,345 across the entire population;
They spend 5 to 6 hours on their phone per day;
They only complete 4 books per year, and can’t read past the 8th grade level;
They can’t cover a $1000 emergency expense;
And they spend 93% of their life indoors.
In summary, the ‘average’ American is overweight, addicted to their phone, is ill-prepared for retirement, and is unlearned.
This of course is probably similar around many western countries, Canada has a obesity and fitness problems, as does Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and the UK.
Globally, everyone who has access to smart phones has addiction problems, and most people do not have ample retirement savings.
Based on this, the average life is one of addiction, ill health, ignorance, and instability.
This in turn makes the unconventional life is one of good health, beauty and literacy, financial abundance, and mindfulness.
Unconventional after all simply means: different from what is usual or from the way most people do things (Per Cambridge Dictionary).
Subtle habit changes that lead to 10% improvements month over month can generate massive returns in lifestyle improvements and wellbeing.
The Big Idea: Don’t be average. Be Unconventional.
Small Bites
“Human progress has always been driven by a sense of adventure and unconventional thinking.”
- Andre Geim
“I'm always trying to reach a transcendent point, a romantic point, but reach it in a really unconventional way, a really profane way. To get to that romantic, touching, heartbreaking place, but through a lot of acts of profanity.”
- Chuck Palahniuk
“I like being unconventional.”
- Florence Griffith Joyner
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Cheers,
Tom
If that's average I'd rather be unconventional thanks 😳
Yes being average just means living below your standards. We should always try to leave the best life we can not to sit on a phone for 5-6 hours.
We don’t have to evolve to be less but to be more.