"The solution to average people becoming less relevant in the economy (which I don't dispute, btw) can of course never be to make everyone above average as that is by definition impossible."
It's not as impossible as you might think. The idea here is to be above average in a specialty, not in everything.
It's even more within reach when you start thinking about how narrow a specialization can become. I remember Scott Adams's reflections on this... that you can become "elite" by being the very best at one thing (like Roger Federer at Tennis), or by by being good at an interesting blend of different things. The first is out of range for most people, but the second is a possibility for mere mortals. Scott Adams's personal reflection was that he was good but not great at drawing, telling jokes, and commenting on business, but all three together made his comic strip unique.
Even this approach will require a substantial amount of education and hard work, but it is a possibility.
It's not as impossible as you might think. The idea here is to be above average in a specialty, not in everything. It's even more within reach when you start thinking about how narrow a specialization can become. I remember Scott Adams's reflections on this... that you can become "elite" by being the very best at one thing (like Roger Federer at Tennis), or by by being good at an interesting blend of different things. The first is out of range for most people, but the second is a possibility for mere mortals. Scott Adams's personal reflection was that he was good but not great at drawing, telling jokes, and commenting on business, but all three together made his comic strip unique.
Even this approach will require a substantial amount of education and hard work, but it is a possibility.