Average Is a Failing Formula

Definition

Average is not a stable equilibrium—it's a liability dressed as normality. Because average is socially acceptable and requires no special justification, people assume it's sustainable. It's not. Average action produces average results; when external conditions deteriorate (recession, competition, unexpected loss), those operating at average levels suddenly find themselves below survival threshold. There is no margin for error.

In the Book

Cardone opens Chapter 8 with stark facts: the average worker reads less than one book per year and works 37.5 hours weekly, while top U.S. CEOs read 60+ books per year. The average worker makes 319 times less money. While people resent the disparity, they miss the mechanism: the successful took substantially different action. When the 2008 recession hit, most CEOs cut expenses. Starbucks' Howard Schultz did the opposite—he traveled the country at 9 PM meeting customers, gathering feedback. This exceeded any expectation of a CEO and drove stock growth.

Cardone argues that average action is "the most dangerous of the levels, because it is the most accepted by society." It's authorized, so people don't stand out. It's sufficient for living, so there's no urgent pressure to upgrade. But he shows the trap: "When average actions hit any resistance, competition, loss or lack of interest, negative or challenging market conditions, or all of these, you will find your project tumbling down."

He illustrates with his own vulnerability: "The moment I started resting on my laurels—and thought that I could 'coast a bit'—I made myself a target." Thieves exploited him because he was no longer operating at 10x. "Average levels of anything will fail you—or at the very least, put you at risk."

Why It Matters

This reframes safety. The conventional view is that average, steady behavior is safe and reliable. Cardone argues it's riskier than ambitious action: it leaves no surplus, no buffer, no excess capacity. In systems terms, a resilient system has "extra" capacity. When you operate at exactly normal, any variance—personal illness, family crisis, market shift—cascades into failure. The safe strategy is to create surplus so large that disruptions barely register.