This stands in many other industries of course, but the point is that not pushing for being better is not a viable long-term strategy if you need to earn a living from it.
But there is also the problem that average is relative. I consider myself average, when comparing to the best developer in my company. But I am sure he considers himself average when comparing himself to other outstanding famous developers.
Also, you'll be the first to be obsoleted, automated, replaced by a nice framework made by someone who had an itch to scratch at the other end of the world; you know, a weird guy with a calling ;-)
I do realize I'm lucky to do a job I still love, but my originally point is that perhaps we shoudn't 'force' people into a path they won't enjoy ; worse, you might make quite a few unhappy ones if some realize they aren't made for it after a while.
The "coding is easy, come and play" slogans we see around are false advertising.
I don't think anybody is being "forced" into coding.
"You should really have someone better than you doing this."
Try asking the internet a database or encryption question. Many times people wont even nudge you into a google search, they just shut the question down.
To program means learning advanced IMO. I have a hard time considering these 'software engineers' who have been doing Android Testing for 6 years 'programmers'.
On the flip side, you get some random 20 some year old kid with no formal training that builds the next gen blockchain.
You can do lots of stuff as an average programmer, but they cannot do anything alone.
What's wrong with being average and making a living ? assuming of course there's place for average people in this field ? someone need to write those simple but boring CRUD.