Born Big

In Greek mythology, Procrustes , was a rogue smith and bandit from Attica who attacked people by stretching them or cutting off their legs, so as to force them to fit the size of an iron bed. -- (source wiki)

I came across this concept in Taleb's Antifragile and was astonished at how much of our daily life is governed not by human potential but by systemic and psychological limitations. These iron beds of systems and mindsets end up atrophying our being and in-turn create a society that is shackled to mediocrity.

Modernity is a Procrustean bed, good or bad—a reduction of humans to what appears to be efficient and useful. - Nassim Nicholas Taleb