If you happen to listen to podcasts featuring entrepreneurs or read inspirational paragraphs online, you will come across one common idea – how a person needs to surround themselves with smart, growth-oriented individuals because the environment significantly influences personal and professional development. By engaging with high achievers, one is constantly exposed to innovative ideas and constructive thinking. Additionally, it is also mentioned how associating with those who lack ambition or settle for mediocrity can lead to stagnation.
Speaking on the same likes, the CEO of the fintech firm CRED, Kunal Shah, took to X to express how “mediocre people” often hang out with other mediocre people because “A+ folks” avoid them.
Mediocre people often have a clear tell: you’ll often see them hanging out with other mediocre people, probably because the A+ folks avoid them.
— Kunal Shah (@kunalb11) May 25, 2024
This idea of his started a debate because there were multiple people who thought that not mixing with the so-called “average people” is a very elitist thing that usually founders of companies say and a friends circle is often comprised of different kinds of people. By labelling some as A+ and others as mediocre, aren’t we rating our friends on the basis of productivity?
Here’s what some had to say about his post:
Always fascinated by how some startup founders in India feel the need to remind everyone, every two days about how special they are, how alpha they are, how sigma they are, how they’ve been sent by God to make people play games on mobile phones for ₹2 Cashback 🙏🏻 https://t.co/ZMApWHIssx
— Shridhar V (@iimcomic) May 25, 2024
Actually, let’s flip the script here. You are nothing without your mediocre people, Kunal. They’re the backbone, the ones who keep things running smoothly day in and day out. While they may not always shine like the A+ folks, their consistency and reliability are what keep the… https://t.co/dFR8FYKmqI
— Sudipto (@SudiptoDoc) May 26, 2024
PSA: All people of all grades are welcome to hangout with me. You don’t even need to tell me your grade and I won’t assign you one.
I’m a total F grade though myself. So, if you are one to hangout with folks of your own grade, please keep that in consideration. https://t.co/aNmYfvAXGo
— Shantanu Goel (@shantanugoel) May 26, 2024
Grading people and deciding if they’re worth hanging out, so you can signal to others that you might be A+ is a status seeking activity.
Hanging out with your friends is a happiness seeking activity. https://t.co/OVg5hxUt07
— Aman (@AmanHasNoName_2) May 25, 2024
I think we’ll all be happier if we stop constantly judging everyone including ourselves and just vibe and have fun for a bit https://t.co/mCD5NHfv9W
— Divya George (@divz_i_am) May 25, 2024
Sir some of us don’t assign grades to our friends
— Ritesh Banglani (@banglani) May 25, 2024
Lol, who gives a grade to their friend. You maintain an excel with grades for ppl u know?
— Aron (@0xAron) May 25, 2024
Do you agree with what Kunal Shah has to say?