Poll: Do you think you're more intelligent than the average person? (Be honest)

[skeliton112]

Just a little experiment I thought up. Obviously only 50% of people can be above average in anything. My real goal here is to see just how strongly we are affected by personal bias.

Actually, 99% can be above average (Meaning mean in this case) if they are all scored at say 51 and the other 1% is scored at 50, with the average being slightly less than 51. Just saying. If your talking about median though, then only 50% can be above average at once.

 

[Conza]

Just a little experiment I thought up. Obviously only 50% of people can be above average in anything. My real goal here is to see just how strongly we are affected by personal bias.
So which 50% do you personally think you fall into, the upper or the lower?

Remember, knowledge =/= intelligence. Living in a developed country and getting a good education does not make you inherently smarter, just more learned.



edit: For the nitpicky, by "average" I mean median not mean, otherwise all the mentally handicapped people and in the world would probably drag the average down considerably. And by "intelligence" I mean a general summation of ones abilities including abstract thought, understanding, communication, reasoning, learning, retaining, planning, and problem solving.



edit 2: Some are complaining that there's no "I am average" option. Most people generaly consider themselves to be roughly average. I get that. However, the point of this poll is to see where people place themselves when FORCED to be one or the other. Adding a middle option would defeat the point and delude the results.

edit 3: If you find the question a little degrading, I can assure you that this wasn't my intention at all. Intelligence is a complex thing, and those who are below average overall are usually extremely talented in certain unique areas. I don't consider intelect to be the most important feature a person can have either. I only posted the question out of a general curiousity to see how people evaluate themselves en masse.
Wow, this OP is getting really long.

Well I don't know what this statistic says, maybe this place does contain on average, smarter than your average bear person, its not impossible for this statistic to be wrong, its just extremely unlikely.

I knew I was always smart, but I was recently tested for the exact figure of my IQ, and suffice to say, its well beyond 115, so I feel confortable saying that I am in the... 92%

 

[Ix Rebound]

I probably am the average person

also needs a better poll

 

[Zelcor]

Voted above average I find myself thinking on a higher level than most people out there, but not because of what I've learned but just because of my thought process and my awareness to human nature. Also it's painfully obvious how dumb the rest of the world seems to be getting on average

 

[Revnak_v1legacy]

I generally think that I am average or below average when considering all the things I do not consider myself exceptionally talented at. Learning, reasoning, observing, writing, and planning are all things I find myself to be exceptionally good at. I definitely consider myself to be of above average intelligence, though only if that is how someone thinks it should be defined. To be honest though, my definition includes a whole lot of things I am terrible at as well, though I still think I'm a bit above average even when those abilities (or lack thereof) are considered, if only due to the many opportunities I have been able to take advantage of during my life.

 

[Soods]

In my opinion, I happen to be the smartest representative of human race currently alive and I am most likely correct, since I happen to be the smartest representative of human race currently alive.

 

[OldNewNewOld]

Considering that my IQ is 150 (had to do several, one for medical reasons, 150, other for military 151, but then they changed the law and it's a professional army, so I didn't have to go, thanks God), I would say I am above average.

The only problem is that I'm one of the laziest persons of the world...

And don't be surprised that most votes go to "above average". Several studies have already shown that the average gamer has above average intelligence (in general).

 

[vingtcinq]

I would say below.
I am not very intelligent at all. Emotionally, perhaps above average, but intellectually I have quite a ways to go.

Perhaps that's just me nagging on myself, but at the same time...there are many things I do (or don't) that point to a lack of thinking ability.
Not that I'm "special", I just...don't like to think too hard and don't make many means of creating thought.

I am also blonde, so y'know...that explains everything, right?

 

[VladBlok28]

This is a biased experiment, the Escapist forum readers are not a random sample of the world population. If anything, our average is far above the average of the world, as I would presume most below average people would not be interested in a gaming forum.

 

[Hyper-space]

Below average, but I do try to understand and put myself in other people's shoes, which does wonders when judging people and events. Makes everything so much clearer.

Heh, 90% of people on the Escapist think they are above average, que surprise!

 

[Kizi]

Looking at the majority of people I'm acquainted with, yes, I would say so. I don't remember any examples to give you, but I'm pretty sure I am.

 

[C95J]

I'm not going to vote myself, I couldn't, or would find it very hard to judge my own intelligence (although I will admit I spelt "intelligence" wrong the first time I typed this). But the results of this poll are very interesting. I expected it to be about a 65/35 split in favour of the "above average" choice, nothing more.

 

[Womplord]

Humans are naturally programmed to think that they are good at things, which I think can explain why 90 percent of people think they are smarter than average.

This coming from someone who thinks he is smarter than average XD. Though friends and acquaintances frequently tell me I am smart or a genius and come to me for advice. I think me seemingly high intelligence comes from my personality; I am always thinking about things and this is probably why I seem to find answers for things that others don't. Not because I am smarter, but because I have thought about it more. I think this is the case for a lot of 'intelligent' people.

 

[Kuroneko97]

Online I feel about average, maybe below average, maybe above. Depending on where I am. For instance on YouTube I feel like one of the most intelligent people alive.

Offline in school I feel like I'm a female version of Albert Einstein, except around my friends and most teachers. I like to spend my time around people whom I can have at least a few intelligent conversations about something, even if it's video games or anime.

So on average(pun intended) I feel just a bit above average.

 

[Naleh]

Depends what aspect of intelligence. I'm good at academics and reasoning, for instance, but I'm not good at problem solving and can be amazingly naive.

 

[Andy of Comix Inc]

I said above-average, but that's only because in all my nightmarish existence getting shoved through psychology tests, hospital labs, doctor's clinics and psychiatrist's offices, the one thing that they all confirmed was that I was "incredibly intelligent". And then they made me take an IQ test and turns out they were right. Go you, qualified brain doctors. You win.

Then they found out I have Asperger's syndrome so FUCK BEING INTELLIGENT ;-;

 

[RickyRich]

I feel my intelligence is slightly above average, especially if we are comparing it to anyone else my age. I am actually very proud of my intelligence.

 

[Zeraki]

I graduated High School with the equivalent of a sixth grade education. I think I fall in the latter category... if not lower.

 

[Jake0fTrades]

It's easy to look at the poll results and deduce that people are generally arrogant, but keep in mind this isn't a consensus, and TheEscapist applies to a certain audience. It's possible that the main demographic of TheEscapist IS more intelligent than the average person, or maybe we just are that arrogant.

 

[blacking512]

compared to most of my friends and family i am above average