Summary

The article argues that being second best can be more advantageous than being the best, offering a better balance of humility, privacy, and motivation.

Abstract

The author of the article presents a counterintuitive perspective on success, suggesting that being the second best, rather than the best, can lead to a more fulfilling life. The article highlights four key advantages of this position: it keeps one humble, spares one from the loneliness of the top spot, allows for a degree of anonymity, and provides a positive motivation to improve without the fear of losing one's status. The author uses the example of Yohan Blake, the second fastest man in the world, to illustrate how someone can be incredibly successful yet remain relatively unknown and grounded, unlike the famous Usain Bolt. The piece also touches on the mental health benefits of not bearing the weight of being number one and the value of privacy and normalcy, as exemplified by Michelle Obama's reflections on her life before fame.

Opinions

Success can lead to narcissism, while being second best fosters humility and the recognition that there is always room for improvement.
The top spot is portrayed as lonely and stressful, with constant challenges and pressure that can lead to mental illness.
Fame, as a result of being the best, is seen as a double-edged sword that robs one of privacy and the simple joys of everyday life.
Being second best is associated with a positive form of motivation, driven by the desire to gain rather than the fear of losing one's status.
The article suggests that being second best still places one among the top percentile of achievers, allowing for a sense of accomplishment without the drawbacks of peak fame.
It is implied that the majority of people can relate to not being the best, which fosters a sense of connection and gratitude in those who are second best.

ON SUCCESS

Four Reasons Why Second Best Is Better Than Best: The Top Is a Lonely Place

And why I don’t want to be there

https://i0.wp.com/www.alltopeverything.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Jamaica%E2%80%99s-former-world-champion-Yohan-Blake.jpg?w=1200&ssl=1

Who is the fastest man alive? Usain Bolt, right?

And who is the second fastest? I have no idea.

I have no idea either, so I googled it: His name is Yohan Blake and on 100m he is only a tenth of a second slower than Usain Bold. The tenth of a second!

And still, most of the world doesn’t know his name.

While this fact often gets interpreted negatively and that even though he worked so hard, he doesn’t get the recognition, I think it is the greatest thing that can happen to any one of us.

I have been best and second best some times now in my life and every time, I noticed the same thing: Second best feels better, than being best.

1. Being Humble

The first and most important thing for me is the fact that being second best keeps you humble. Success often makes people narcissistic and I understand why: Because we are telling them:

You are better than everyone else, you are different. You are not like us.

But in reality, they aren’t that special after all. Yes, Usain Bold is a fucking fast runner, but still, he is a human, like You and me.

And telling them they are special, somewhat different from the rest, does not make them feel better.

Often it is the other way around and they feel like they do not belong because everyone is telling them, how special and abnormal they are.

Knowing that there is still room to improve, makes you humble.

2. The top is lonely

This brings us to the next point: The top is a lonely place.

You become alienated and as soon as you are on the top, someone will try to challenge you. Staying on top requires constant work and stresses you out.

Humans lived for thousands of years in egalitarian tribes, where the concept of “I am better than you” did not even exist. Our brains still work like that and when we are put into this unnatural state, we become sick.

I am not an opponent of competition and championships, but mental health is something very important to me. And the mental illness rate among top athletes is extremely high.

Part of it comes from the pressure of wanting to be “the best”, a position your subconscious doesn’t even want.

3. I don’t want to be famous

I recently read an interview with Michelle Obama, in which she talked about one thing, she missed from her life, before being the first lady: Having anonymity.

“The natural everyday thing of sitting, and being able to sit in the world and observe, without being observed. Sitting in a park and watching the world happen, with nobody pulling you out of it. The simple walk or standing in line at a grocery store and overhearing life. We don’t have that anymore.”

Being at the top is something that will make you famous, but it has a flip side.

My privacy is one of the most important goods for me and imagining what it would be like, not to be able to drive the Metro or Bus anymore, because someone will notice me, is a thought I hate.

Yohan Blake only has a fraction of the fame of Usain Bold. And it is the greatest gift you could ask for.

4. Over 99%, but still 1% to go

The last and maybe most important factor for me is that even when you are second best, you still accomplish more than 99% of all the others.

You are part of the one per cent of the best.

So you have people “to look down on”, but still someone better than you. And this position connects you to the 99 per cent of people under you, who know how it feels like not to be the best.

And it evokes gratitude for everything you have. For the life that is better than the 99 per cent below you.

Still, it keeps you humble, because you know that there is someone more successful than you. And this motivation is something the best of the best, will never have.

The champion’s motivation is negative: Not to lose something.

The motivation of the second best is positive: To gain something.

You know you could go the extra mile, but you also know that staying here, at the second place, is one of the greatest gifts, you could ever ask for.