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I assume I'm below average

sivers.org

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Re: I assume I'm below average

#11

Post by sivers »

wheels wrote: post #6

I doubt Derek really believes this. At least for me it would be paralyzing to think that I was below average at everything . I assume what he really means is, "below average in x , but I make up for that with y ." I think it'd be hard to have done as well as Derek if you honestly managed to convince yourself that you were below average intelligence, below average skill in your profession, below average ability to mot…

See the top of http://sivers.org/book/ArtOfLearning

The fixed theory of intelligence versus the growth/incremental.

You're right: no use to be an Eeyore and assume you're doomed.

But if you're dedicated to learning, then assuming you're currently below average keeps you learning harder than if you assume you're most of the way there.

Re: I assume I'm below average

#12

Post by chasingsparks »

shasta wrote: post #7
gkoberger wrote: post #5

My take on this is slightly different. I think people have different opinions on what above average means. Take the driving example. I may say I'm an above average driver, since I have good reflexes and can drive at high speeds. However, someone else might say they're a good driver because they follow the speed limit. I think the reason everyone thinks they're above average is because they are- they're just above ave…

You get a gold star for that comment!

I think you were being sarcastic, alluding to teachers doling out gold stars for effort. Sarcasm doesn't really play well on mediums without body language or intonation. If this was your intention, then I agree with you.

Talent and intelligence tends to cluster in individuals. People who are above average in certain skills tend to be above average in related skills; the converse is also true. Yes, certain classes of skill tend to have an inverse relationship with others, but I don't think it's a problem of the "definition of above average." Instead, I think people simply have evolutionary reasons for inflating their worth.

Re: I assume I'm below average

#14

Post by evandijk70 »

Especially for driving, I think most people are above average. This is because the distribution of driving ability is negatively skewed, meaning the tail on the left is longer than the tail on the right.

If you were to put a number on driving ability, most people would get something like a seven (out of a maximum of 10).

In my opinion, there would be a very small amount of two's and fives. There would also be a small percentage that would get a one out of a maximum of a ten. (The drivers that don't follow the speed limit, make dangerous overtaking maneuvers, and are agressive towards other drivers).

I think those drivers make most people claim they have an "above average" driving ability.

Re: I assume I'm below average

#15

Post by shasta »

chasingsparks wrote: post #12
shasta wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You get a gold star for that comment!

I think you were being sarcastic, alluding to teachers doling out gold stars for effort. Sarcasm doesn't really play well on mediums without body language or intonation. If this was your intention, then I agree with you. Talent and intelligence tends to cluster in individuals. People who are above average in certain skills tend to be above average in related skills; the converse is also true. Yes, certain classes of…

It's ok, I'm interpreting all of these downvotes as sarcasm.

Re: I assume I'm below average

#16

Post by tbrownaw »

mahipal wrote: post #2

This article reminded me of this old gem from PG's "Great Hackers": "I've found that people who are great at something are not so much convinced of their own greatness as mystified at why everyone else seems so incompetent."

For a while after I first saw that, my opinion of myself became slightly oscillatory. (Then after a bit I went looking for objective measures, which besides being more stable have the extra benefit of showing how to improve.)

Re: I assume I'm below average

#18

Post by wheels »

sivers wrote: post #11
wheels wrote: post #6

I doubt Derek really believes this. At least for me it would be paralyzing to think that I was below average at everything . I assume what he really means is, "below average in x , but I make up for that with y ." I think it'd be hard to have done as well as Derek if you honestly managed to convince yourself that you were below average intelligence, below average skill in your profession, below average ability to mot…

See the top of http://sivers.org/book/ArtOfLearning The fixed theory of intelligence versus the growth/incremental. You're right: no use to be an Eeyore and assume you're doomed. But if you're dedicated to learning, then assuming you're currently below average keeps you learning harder than if you assume you're most of the way there.

The approach I find myself taking is to keep moving the goal posts by putting myself in groups where I genuinely am below average, or at a minimum where there are prominent examples around me of people much better than me at the thing I'm trying to do.

There's also something about approaching one's limits that helps distill genuine personal weaknesses and learn to either live with or work around them.

Re: I assume I'm below average

#20

Post by haze »

I believe its about attitude. One need consider him/herself to be below average to be attentive to what others say and not consider others stupid. Considering myself below average has not really worked for me, this has actually hit my confidence and made me apprehensive about sharing my views
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