# Help Me Understand Averages **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 16, 2014, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-averages/693251 "2014-07-16T04:30:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-averages/693251/21 "2014-07-17T01:28:50Z")
Think of it this way. An average is just a way of finding the midpoint within a bunch of numbers. What’s the average of 1,2,3,4? It’s 2.5. It’s right in the middle. What’s the average of 1 and 2? 1.5. What’s the average of 3 and 4? 3.5. I don’t know how to explain _why_ they aren’t the same. But if you really understand what an average is, you should be able to understand why your logic isn’t logical. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-averages/693251/22 "2014-07-17T11:28:36Z")
When comparing salaries, I always thought a “median” was much more useful. And misapplying the distributive and/or associative property can cause confusion. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-averages/693251/23 "2014-07-17T16:51:40Z")
That’s as may be, but suppose we concentrate on the OP’s understanding of “average”, which in this context means “mean”. **Samantha Leigh** , do you understand that if you want the average of four numbers, you have to add them and divide them by four - and that adding them two at a time and dividing each group of two by two, then adding the results, is pretty much guaranteed to _not_ do that for you? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-averages/693251.md?page=1)