# Are You Smarter Than The Average Doper. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 20, 2011, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-smarter-than-the-average-doper/589685 "2011-07-20T06:17:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2011, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-smarter-than-the-average-doper/589685/81 "2011-07-22T16:49:48Z")
Well above average elsewhere. Average here. That’s why I hang out here. ---
**Author:** ![race\_to\_the\_bottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c4cdca/32.png) [@race\_to\_the\_bottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/race_to_the_bottom)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2011, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-smarter-than-the-average-doper/589685/82 "2011-07-23T01:27:35Z")
Interesting results. Women’s responses show pretty much a normal bell curve, with roughly the same number rating themselves above as below average, with slightly more on the below average side. Now the men. 45% are average; ok so far, but 24% are \*above \*average and _only 14% below_. Furthermore, 14% rate themselves as \*significantly more intelligent \*and only _2%_ (!) rate themselves significantly below average. If I hadn’t rated myself as significantly below average, that figure would be even lower. So what are we to make of this? Well, obviously, women are more honest in this as in most other matters. The normal curve speaks for itself. And what about the results for men? Obviously, these results are worthless. The curve \*cannot \*look like this. Now the evaluations of the men \*may \*be valid if the poll question had asked people to compare themselves to the general population, but that was not the question ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2011, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-smarter-than-the-average-doper/589685/83 "2011-07-23T01:46:55Z")
You can’t assume women are being more honest without knowing the actual intelligences of the survey responder. You’re assuming they’re equal which is an unfounded assumption without data - this is not a random scientific sample. If, for some reason, the men on the dope were smarter than the women on average, then you could have an entirely accurate result that looked like this. There could be some selective factor at work, like the dumber men are ridiculed more than the dumber women and scared off at a greater rate or something. ---
**Author:** ![Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cabin_fever_1/32/2908_2.png) [@Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabin_Fever_1)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2011, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-smarter-than-the-average-doper/589685/84 "2011-07-23T02:58:44Z")
> [@kushiel](#): > > I chose below average. I quite often feel like I’m just **hurp-derping** around when I come here. But I still love reading the boards and use them to feel above average in real life, … I was going to put Above Average. However I suddenly realized I have never heard of, nor do I have a clue what **hurp-derping** is. I’m so ashamed… ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2011, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-smarter-than-the-average-doper/589685/85 "2011-07-23T09:39:22Z")
> [@race\_to\_the\_bottom](#): > > So what are we to make of this? Well, obviously, women are more honest in this as in most other matters. The normal curve speaks for itself. And what about the results for men? Obviously, these results are worthless. The curve \*cannot \*look like this. You’re drawing a conclusion from information that isn’t there: the poll does not ask Dopers to rate themseves against others of the same sex, but against all Dopers. It may indeed be that male Dopers are more intelligent than female Dopers, though I doubt it. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2011, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-smarter-than-the-average-doper/589685/86 "2011-07-23T15:52:56Z")
Another vote for average. That said, I think I am different from the average Doper. I’ve studied a lot of humanities and social sciences whereas a lot of Dopers tend to be more concrete, rational thinkers. I’m driven by my emotions and feelings more than cold rationality. This is easy to mistake for intellectual weakness, but I’m not dumb. As for my sense of humor, I’d say that’s significantly below average for a Doper. I try, but you guys have mad skills. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-smarter-than-the-average-doper/589685.md?page=4)