Stifled

Despite my strong resistance and dislike for reading what I'm told to read, and writing what I'm told to write, I somehow managed to get through a degree that required exactly that.... and proceeded to commence another such degree with only more/higher expectation to do so. The human mind and its decision-making process never ceases to baffle (amaze) me.
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Random thought of the day:

If everyone was given the opportunity that, for example, a student chosen to attend a selective school with the (greater) push for excellence in their chosen path, would we flourish?

Let me rephrase. If we were given a life changing/threatening ultimatum that we had to excel at a rapid pace, would we? Or would we just be the weakest link and be told goodbye? 

The point I'm trying to get at here is that I see so many people, myself included, that cruise along at 50km/h, staying safe and not going beyond the bounds of mediocracy. What if we were pushed to instead go along at 80km/h? Surely it would take some time to adjust to this sudden increase of speed but I don't think that means we'd crash and burn, does it?

I want to be going at 80km/h. Only thing stopping me is myself. Myself, stop stopping me please?
[I think I just said three different things, apologies for not being concise)