The Inner Monologue

Let’s talk about intelligence—or, more accurately, let’s talk about how most people don’t want to talk about intelligence because they’ve already decided they’re secretly in the top 1%. Spoiler alert: They’re not.

If we could measure general intelligence with perfect accuracy (which we can’t, but play along), we’d find a delightful bell curve where most people are clustered comfortably in the middle. This is the land of “pretty good at some things, bad at others, occasionally has a smart thought but also forgets where they left their keys.” It’s where the magic of normal happens.

But here’s the fun part: As you move away from the average in either direction, the numbers drop off fast. Being slightly above or below average already puts you in a shrinking minority. And if you’re way out at the extremes? Well, congratulations—you’re either a genius who can’t find anyone to talk to, or… let’s just say you probably don’t realize you’re at the other end.

The real kicker? Most people think they’re not average. Statistically, that’s adorable. The same way everyone thinks they’re a great driver or “good at detecting lies,” the average person believes they’re above average in intelligence. The math says otherwise.

So if you’ve ever looked around and thought, Why is everyone like this?—well, now you know. They have to be like this. That’s how averages work. The real question is: Which side of the curve are you actually on? (And if you answered immediately with supreme confidence, I’ve got bad news for you.)

Welcome to reality. It’s crowded in the middle.