The Philosopher Avram Alpert on Escaping the Greatness Trap

Avram Alpert's book 'The Good-Enough Life' argues that society's obsession with excellence, or 'greatness thinking,' is harmful and proposes embracing ordinariness as a path to decency and sufficiency. Alpert draws on Aristotle, Kant, Nietzsche, and Sartre to show how philosophical traditions have elevated excellence, while also citing psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott's concept of the 'good-enough mother.' He critiques trickle-down greatness and suggests that focusing on being 'good enough' could reduce inequality and social pressure. The article, published in The New Yorker, also references comedian Maria Bamford's observation that there's no room for 'a two-star experience' in a culture that demands everything be amazing.