Factoid of the Day: Optimism Bias in 80% of Population

[liveonearth]

This factoid from the documentary on netflix called (Dis)Honesty.  It's about a scientist and his experiments about lying.  He (and others) have found that about 80% of Americans at least believe that they are above average, and this is diplomatically called the Optimism Bias.  So 80% of us believe that we are smarter than average.  Better drivers, lovers, cooks.  You get the idea.

If 50% actually are above average, and 30% more think they are when they are not, then we are surrounded by blowhards, egotists, optimists of the ickiest kind.  I guess the other 20% knows that they are below average or thinks that they are even if they are above average.

Comments

[bobby1933.livejournal.com]

This does not consider the likelihood that a significant number of people who are actually above average, think they are below average because of abuse or low self esteem. It does seem unreasonable to me that this could be ten percent of the population. To adjust for this, ten percent should be subtracted from the fifty percent who are "really above average" and added to the thirty percent who erroneously believe they are above average. Thus forty percent of the population may believe they are above average when they are not.

[liveonearth.livejournal.com]

It's getting grimmer by the minute.

[bobby1933.livejournal.com]

Well, i think that i am above average in some ways, and below average in others; some qualities i was born with, others i worked for, others were gifts. So the idea of an average human being doesn't compute well for.

I think of "Lake Webegon" where all the men are handsome, all the women are wise, and all the children are "above average." Who is to say that one measuring instrument is superior to another when they are measuring different dimensions of "realiy."

[liveonearth.livejournal.com]

I had that same thought. Who is the judge of superiority? This factoid says that each of us subjectively are the judge, and we each will judge in different ways. We probably value what we can do more than what we can't do, sealing the deal that we will think we are better than the rest overall... I think it's human nature.

[bobby1933.livejournal.com]

Yes, but maybe not our "true nature."

[liveonearth.livejournal.com]

That's the question, eh. What is our true nature? Your answer reveals your metaphysics.

[neptunia67.livejournal.com]

I definitely believe I am above average. ;-)

[bobby1933.livejournal.com]

It could also be called a pessimism bias. What does it sat about the human race if half of them are below me?