My wife Kathy and I have a little secret signal we flash between us when we’re out in public and encounter someone who is preternaturally stupid. We hold up our index and middle finger, palm out, like a Cub Scout hand sign or a hippy peace sign.
It refers to the fact that we consider ourselves to be in the upper 2 percentile of intelligence among the general population — possibly even higher here in Miami. Now if you think that sounds elitist, it’s not, because most of our friends are also 2 percenters, so it’s kind of inclusive. Call it a small tent.
I just received confirmation through a simple test that indeed at least 98 percent of the population dwells in the foothills of my intellectual Olympus. See, the people at Pew Research Center devised a 12-question test to assess the political savvy of the average American. You can take the test here, and immediately compare your results with everybody else who has taken it.
The results are pretty much what you’d expect — if you were an intellectual giant like me:
- 66 percent got six or fewer questions correct
- 6 percent got no correct answers
- Demographically, I was destined for excellence because I am male, a college graduate and over 50
- Which makes me really glad I’m not an 18- to 29-year-old female high school dropout
OK, maybe I’m making too much of a test that asks things like what country holds the most U.S. debt or who is Stephen Colbert, but those don’t seem to be asking too much to me. Of course, I read a daily newspaper, subscribe to two weekly news magazines, listen to National Public Radio and pay attention to what Jon and Trish write, so maybe that’s what makes me a 2 percenter.
There you have it — get informed and rule the world.
I completed the test and got 12 of the 12 questions correct. I’m also a 2%. I wish more Americans would take time to keep up with current events.
Trish and I take complete credit for your good score, Buck. As it happens, I got 12 out of 12, too, Majii.
I missed the one about the Dow. I thought about cheating and looking it up but in the end, I just guessed.
That’s because the good(-ish) news is being buried. It went up to 11,000 on Friday, so into the news blackout for the weekend. Retail sales were up in March, too.
I forgot about Sotomayor on the Supreme court so I answered 1 incorrectly, took a guess and missed on the Iraq/Afghanistan question and missed on the % of U.S. oil imported so I got only 9 right. But I scored higher than 78% of Americans which isn’t too bad, right?
Dang right, Garry!
I got 6%. Missed the one about women on the Supreme Court. Thought (incorrectly) that Ruth Bader Ginsberg had retired.
WOW you are so very smart, watch a few J-walkers and you know that your competition is not too tough. I would be more concerned with the crap you post on your site then if your are smarter than 98% of the rest of the people who took that test. Hey just a little hint, there is more dangerous stuff out there than FOX NEWS! Take a look! Click off MSNBC once and a while.
My demographic, White, Male, College Grad, 35 years old 12 for 12 on the test and not afraid of FOX NEWS, but very afraid of the few hundred people who watch MSNBC and spend inordinate amounts of time complaining about FOX NEWS and Sarah Palin.