Some Thoughts on 'Average' - NYTimes.com My Shortcuts column on Saturday, which looked at how the words "ordinary" and "average" have become derogatory, prompted numerous readers to respond. For the most part, they were glad to think about how we can redefine success and "being special" in a country that seems to prize those qualities over everything else. Here is a sampling of their comments: I often have wondered how the world can be in such a mess with all of the "extraordinary" people we read about in leadership positions. As you suggest, perhaps they were climbing their mountains for the wrong reasons. Linda Winikoff Winston-Salem, N.C. Thank you, Alina Tugend! For pointing out that "ordinary" need not be a pejorative word. For suggesting that millions of people do not define themselves merely by a set of goals; in fact, they do not feel the need to define themselves at all. Horror of horrors, they may even think more about others than themselves. Run for the hills! In my neighborhood, when you call someone a millionaire, it may be meant as an insult. Everyone's extraordinary. A woman bragged to me not long ago that her dog knew three languages! When someone mentions the term "Harvard" in a room, everyone stops to listen like in those old E.F. Hutton commercials. The monarch butterfly is ordinary in many ways, but thrives today; while T. rex, extraordinary in so many ways, is extinct. TW McDermott Greenwich, Conn. Is it any wonder that high school students and their parents seek anything but an ordinary teen life when admissions to selective colleges necessitate something extraordinary? As an I.E.C.A.-member educational consultant, I can attest to having worked with dozens and dozens of well-rounded, talented, full-of-potential yet ordinary students with great G.P.A."s and test scores. They are uniformly rejected by schools such as Ivies, Duke, Georgetown, Stanford, and the list goes on. The funny thing is, it is these students that I have the most confidence in - they are the ones who graduate and go on to a successful life. The "extraordinary" students who never developed the skills to deal with conflict, change and rejection have a much harder time of finding their way in life. Jennifer Tabbush Encino, Calif. As a former New Yorker who decided to leave that rat race, it is a constant challenge to "compete" with friends and relatives whose children are making the big bucks after graduating from Ivy League schools, while mine are living a much different but, in my opinion, better life. Bonnie Sumner Woodland Park, Colo. Wonderful insightful article! Should be required reading for parents of all K-12 children. I've often considered getting bumper stickers and T-shirts that say "My child is in average Math/English class and I'm proud of it" or "Proud mother of a non-honor student." The attributes for which I am most proud of my children are their integrity, compassion, patience, humbleness, kindness and sensitivity - not their A.P. scores or goals on the soccer field. From an "average" New Jersey mom Just read the article and it reminded me of this: Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." - Albert Einstein Barb As we prepare for my high school senior to take the SATs for yet a third time, I read your piece. It was as if the skies opened up and an overwhelming sense of clarity suddenly engulfed me. My 17-year-old son makes a mind-blowing Bolognese, is one of the funniest people I know and a great camp counselor. With an older brother who excelled in everything academic, he has grown up under a cloud of pressure that I could not eradicate. Somehow, your article made me feel empowered and energized. I'm not sure what direction I will take with him, but starting now, I will find a way to celebrate his qualities and "heal the disconnect." Kim Meth West Caldwell, N.J. Thank you for giving voice to the ordinary, and to what I believe (or at least hope) we all value when we reach a wisdom-oriented time of life. As a Harvard M.B.A. who has not climbed the corporate or political ladder, what you wrote rings true to me. Even though I've consciously chosen my path, I wrestle with feelings of adequacy when I compare myself to the movers, shakers and masters of the universe who are my classmates. And then there's the line from Monty Python's highly irreverent "Life of Brian." Brian addresses a crowd, telling them "You're all individuals!" One lone voice, barely audible, replies, "I'm not." Mark Chussil Portland, Ore.