If you ask me, I believe a full 90% of people are "below average"

[Rabrrrrrr]

or at least, what the average should be, in terms of intellectual acumen, curiosity, desire to learn and know things, and ability and desire to form cogent and workable hypothesis, synthesize data, and think holistically.

[Zomby Woof]

1. I say 95%

You always were a bleeding heart do-gooder. :P

[Rabrrrrrr]

2. I am the eternal optimist with my heart worn firmly on my sleeve

95% is probably right.

[Spider Jerusalem]

3. 90% may be low.

So you want to live in a Brave New World populated only by Alphas and Betas? (Not to say that this is a BAD thing)

[BlueJazz]

4. I think it's about 75 percent. I believe it seems like a lot more.....

..because the 75 percent are more vocal and "Loudly, idiotically Opinionated"

The remaining 25 percent seem to be more reserved in their thoughts...(and Mouths)..

[Spider Jerusalem]

6. Oddly enough, that's ALSO the extrovert-to-introvert ratio.

[Spinzonner]

5. That's possible if the high values are high enough

depending, of course, how you're going to manage to measure all those things on numeric scales.

Now, it would be a nonsensical statement if you meant median instead of average since that would be the middle of the distribution at which half the scores are higher and half lower.

End of statistical critique ..

[Rabrrrrrr]

7. Maybe I meant the mean?

Or only those who are within half a sigma of me.

:evilgrin:

[Spinzonner]

10. Probably, not many think about 'median'

or distinctions in general when they use the word 'average'.

But then that 90% figure makes you seem like an elitest who sees most of society as significantly below a superior group who by some set of intellectual, social, or economical criteria are better qualified to control and direct government and society. That puts one in shouting distance of the neocons, philosophically speaking.

But then I don't know exactly what you intended to say.

[Rabrrrrrr]

13. Yeah, well, I'm an elitist, I guess

just blowing some steam at the unwashed ignorant Dorito(tm)-eating Survivor-watching entertain-me-don't-teach-me masses.

[Spinzonner]

17. Are you accusing those people of being unpatriotic, pro-terrorist ?

Saddam is a Dorito eater

[Rabrrrrrr]

18. whatever.

now you're not even making sense.

:eyes:

[sleipnir]

8. International Geologist, Harold F. Bonham, Jr. begs to differ

http://134.197.46.69/staff/hal.htm

[Rabrrrrrr]

9. Well then, I guess I should change my position!

How can I argue with that?

[sleipnir]

11. You can't because Richard "Dick" Meeuwig backs up his homeboy

http://134.197.46.69/staff/dick.htm

[Rabrrrrrr]

12. He looks like the type to pop a cap in my ass

[sleipnir]

15. Damn straight, he's worked for the Forest Service.

How do you think they prevent forest fires? By fuckin' some shit up if anyone tries to mess with their hood.

[Rabrrrrrr]

16. They go all batshit crazy and work the shiznits on those

campers what don't pay props.

[Spider Jerusalem]

14. Um...

what's up with the guys who look like cut-rate Mafiosi in cheap Eastern European suits? And why do they have these sinister connections to the "Nevada Bureau of Mines"? It sounds like a cover for digging big holes in the desert and burying welshers and squealers in 'em.

[sleipnir]

19. Man, watch out or noted Geochemist, Paul J. Lechler will pay you a vist.

http://134.197.46.69/staff/paul.htm

[gmoney]

21. Shit, they're on to us!

[hfojvt]

20. is studying inherently anti-social?

A studious person like me spent alot of time studying when my peers were running around having 'fun'. By our twenty year re-union I probably had more education than 95% of them, and yet I was probably less "successful" than 75% of them measured by personal relationships and career satisfaction. So would they gain by being more like me, or would I gain by being more like them?

[Wcross]

22. I'd say its closer to 50% of the people :) n/t

[Anarcho-Socialist]

23. I know it seems that way, but I don't think it is

In American society (epsecially the media) there is strong anti-intellectual sentiment. From this it means that the more intelligent of us are marginalised by the idiots who seem to shout louder and categorise the world in a highly simplistic fashion.

[indigo32]

24. I think today

we don't place nearly enough value on such things. In fact it sometimes feels like there is a current that is anti-intellectual.

How else would we have elected an idiot?

[RPM]

25. well, in actually

by statistical definition only 49% are below averaage...

But your are right if you mean that 90% or people have below suffcicient intelligence.