How do you deal with your own mediocrity?
I'm in academia. On some days, my ego swells up to a whale (Important by being bloated with krill). Other days, it shrivels up to a flea (Starved). As I progress more and more, there is the constant nagging voice that reminds me of my general mediocrity. I see PhD students with more papers than. Better papers, a lot of times. I see other postdocs who achieved breakthroughs in a short span. Let me be clear, I am not seeking validation nor comfort. It is just the nature of the world.
How do I deal with it?
Even the most talented academic would be mediocre in the face of geniuses. I tell grad students to not compare themselves to others (An advice I'm woefully cannot follow). If you cannot stop comparing yourself, I would advise, then at least compare yourself to a genius. How can you compete with a man who dreams of proofs in his dream? Srinivasa Ramanujan, for example, had a divine gift that cannot be explained. You cannot rage against God, you can only accept it.
You suck at math, and you feel bad because you're comparing yourself to your peers? Ridiculous, compare yourself to Ramanujan. You will realize that you and your peers are mediocre. That should be liberating. No matter how hard you work, you cannot compete against Ramanujan!
Remind yourself of Ramanujan, accept your mediocrity, and work even harder.