In Part 1, we saw how mediocrity often becomes the default. Let’s now ask why excellence, despite its brilliance, struggles to find its voice.
Excellence is usually wrapped in lofty talk, but a story from a wildlife sanctuary in Kerala brings it down to earth. A sculptor carved an elephant so lifelike that a wild herd attacked it, mistaking it for a rival. Undeterred, he sculpted another, less literal, more graceful. This time, a she-elephant stood guard, refusing to leave. Apocryphal or not, it’s a quiet reminder, how true excellence gets recognized, even by the most unbiased judges.
Now picture a chic café charging ₹300 for a cortado. We walked out and into a nearby Udupi joint for a ₹50 filter coffee. That choice shows something crucial. Sometimes, excellence wins over the louder, trendier, flashier mediocrity. What’s often missed is the dying art of the filter coffee master, carrying forward a century of perfected craft.
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These stories underline a pattern. Excellence isn’t defeated; it’s drowned out. In today’s “hustle over harmony” culture, speed and hype get rewarded over depth and substance. A “good enough” idea shouted through viral posts grabs attention faster than a quiet masterpiece. Think of Instagram-perfect products eclipsing traditional gems simply because they dominate our senses everywhere.
Mediocrity makes excellence look “too much.” But the real barrier isn’t talent; it’s silence. Greatness, if hidden, never reaches its audience. The sculptor’s elephants were known only because they were seen.
So don’t let self-doubt mute your work. Silent excellence is invisible excellence. Share your spark, your voice, your craft. It doesn’t need to be flawless. It just needs to be heard.
In Part 3, we’ll look at how to break free from mediocrity’s grip and make excellence rise above the noise.
