The world has also become more top heavy than a few decades ago. Competition for the top x% of a field has likely become fiercer as the alternative has become less self-sustaining.
There is nothing wrong with being mediocre.
There is also nothing good with being mediocre.
It's almost as if being mediocre is fairly mediocre
There's a lot of good with being mediocre. normalcy, so long as you're not in some sort of barbarian culture. is a net positive.