# Arbitrarily divide people into categories **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 1, 2021, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arbitrarily-divide-people-into-categories/949897 "2021-09-01T13:16:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2021, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arbitrarily-divide-people-into-categories/949897/1 "2021-09-01T13:16:00Z")
Reading one of Schott’s Miscellanies where he says the poet William Shenstone (1714-1765) once claimed that if the general public was divided into one hundred parts, the relative distribution of intellect could be estimated this: Fools 15%, Persons of Common Sense 40%, Wits 15%, Nitpickers 15%, Persons of Wild Taste 10%, Persons of Elevated Taste 5%. These numbers seem way off. What numbers would you choose? How would you alternately distribute the general public into percent? I also do not think taste and intellect should be on the same axis. And if you added up all the percentages to confirm a correct total, should it be assumed you pick nits? ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2021, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arbitrarily-divide-people-into-categories/949897/2 "2021-09-01T15:56:48Z")
I suspect standards have changed in 250 years. I think there are now more than 15% fools, and fewer nitpickers and higher. I think 40% common sense is probably about right. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2021, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arbitrarily-divide-people-into-categories/949897/3 "2021-09-01T16:01:10Z")
I’m curious if Willam Shenstone ever considered the possibility that there is significant overlap in the population of poets and fools. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2021, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arbitrarily-divide-people-into-categories/949897/4 "2021-09-01T16:04:23Z")
Those who arbitrarily divide people into groups: 25% Those who do not arbitrarily divide people into groups: 65% Those who prefer arguing about whether dividing people into groups is arbitrary: 10% ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2021, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arbitrarily-divide-people-into-categories/949897/5 "2021-09-01T16:13:19Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > I think there are now more than 15% fools, and fewer nitpickers Way more nit-pickers today. Note the correct spelling… ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2021, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arbitrarily-divide-people-into-categories/949897/6 "2021-09-01T16:21:59Z")
I’m confused that you can’t have both common sense and elevated taste… . ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2021, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arbitrarily-divide-people-into-categories/949897/7 "2021-09-01T16:36:34Z")
That would be an improper quote, incomplete with the intent to change the meaning. Tsk tsk. ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2021, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arbitrarily-divide-people-into-categories/949897/8 "2021-09-01T16:41:09Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > How would you alternately distribute the general public into percent? **[Ruth Benedict](https://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=A2KLfR1hqy9huLUA2MFXNyoA;_ylu=Y29sbwNiZjEEcG9zAzEEdnRpZANDMTYxMV8xBHNlYwNzYw--/RV=2/RE=1630542818/RO=10/RU=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fApollonian_and_Dionysian/RK=2/RS=wpETFPVfT3gRU3hpE4gQrZ_chsU-)** divided folks into Apollonian and Dionysian about 50%/50%. That is not arbitrary and it works well for the current population of the US. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2021, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arbitrarily-divide-people-into-categories/949897/9 "2021-09-02T01:09:20Z")
Those without common sense: 100%. Those with common sense: 0%. That’s because I take it as axiomatic that there is no such thing as common sense. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2021, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arbitrarily-divide-people-into-categories/949897/10 "2021-09-02T01:19:21Z")
There are 10 types of people: Those who understand binary numbers, and those who don’t. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2021, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arbitrarily-divide-people-into-categories/949897/11 "2021-09-02T01:38:02Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > Way more nit-pickers today. Note the correct spelling… I was going to say. Have you been on the internet lately? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2021, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arbitrarily-divide-people-into-categories/949897/12 "2021-09-02T01:47:37Z")
Fools 20% Average 40% Exceptionally good at one thing 10% Exceptional 20% People who can’t do math 15% ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2021, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arbitrarily-divide-people-into-categories/949897/13 "2021-09-02T02:09:48Z")
There are different categories of people: People who divide people into different categories of people: 50% People who don’t divide people into different categories of people: 49.9% And the poet William Shenstone: 0.1%, (because he’s dead) ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2021, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arbitrarily-divide-people-into-categories/949897/14 "2021-09-02T03:25:08Z")
There are two types of people: 1. People who are comfortable with imperfect data ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2021, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arbitrarily-divide-people-into-categories/949897/15 "2021-09-02T05:05:23Z")
No, but I’ve been on the Internet. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2021, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arbitrarily-divide-people-into-categories/949897/16 "2021-09-02T13:52:29Z")
George Carlin: “Everyone who drives slower than me is an idiot, and everyone who drives faster than me is a maniac!” ---
**Author:** ![tavaritz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/71e660/32.png) [@tavaritz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tavaritz)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2021, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arbitrarily-divide-people-into-categories/949897/17 "2021-09-03T06:36:51Z")
> [@gkster](#): > > There are 10 types of people: > Those who understand binary numbers, and those who don’t. There are 10 types of people: Those who understand binary, those who don’t and those who didn’t think that this was in ternary. You can extend this into any base, so feel free. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2021, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arbitrarily-divide-people-into-categories/949897/18 "2021-09-07T10:11:20Z")
There are two kinds of people in the world: Those who divide everybody into two kinds, and those who don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Karen\_Lingel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karen_lingel/32/18649_2.png) [@Karen\_Lingel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karen_Lingel)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2021, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arbitrarily-divide-people-into-categories/949897/19 "2021-09-07T20:02:12Z")
Assholes: 88% Other: 12% ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2021, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arbitrarily-divide-people-into-categories/949897/20 "2021-09-07T23:22:22Z")
People I like and everybody else. I find this to be a foolproof method of categorizing humans.