Medals

Medals are a very interesting concept. Most of the time, the top 3 of any competition will receive some form of a medal as a part of their rewards. These medals are then composed of (or at least have a surface layer of / appear to be) gold, silver or bronze.

If you asked a group of people their medal preferences, most will rank them as gold first, silver second, and bronze third, as this is how they are represented.

When it actually comes down to receiving a medal, silver is probably the worst one. You'll just have to live with the fact, that you just barely weren't the best. You failed when it mattered most. Nobody cares about second place.

Most people know who Neil Armstrong is but much fewer know Buzz Aldrin.

Bronze is actually better for your mental health. It's a symbol of how you've reached the podium. You also have a medal compared to all the others that didn't receive one. You're not quite the best, but you're amongst the best.