I have no idea where this is coming from. I mean, I know my share of naysayers, but this is America. We're told from day one "You're in America! You can be or do anything you set your heart and mind to!"
The American Dream isn't exactly an obscure phrase...
So, "brainwashed into believing you're average" is complete nonsense.
"The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States of America in which democratic ideals are perceived as a promise of prosperity for its people. In the American Dream, first expressed by James Truslow Adams in 1931, citizens of every rank feel that they can achieve a "better, richer, and happier life."[1] The idea of the American Dream is rooted in the second sentence of the Declaration of Independence[2] which states that "all men are created equal"[3] and that they are "endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights"[3] including "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."[3]"
More accurately, it's believing you could be anything you want and choosing an average comfortable life. This is in contrast to not having the choice at all. People like having choice, not necessarily using it.
What's wrong with a comfortable life? I mean, from a genetic perspective, what I really want is for my child to have children. Having and "average, comfortable life" has, thus far, been a pretty good way to achieve that.
The corollary to your statement is that if I have an average, comfortable life, I did not choose it. I simply let myself "fall into" that life. I view this as a negative statement, though perhaps you didn't mean it that way. I chose a comfortable life and worked to achieve it. It didn't just happen to me because I coasted along.
The American Dream isn't exactly an obscure phrase...
So, "brainwashed into believing you're average" is complete nonsense.