LogFAQs > #968144467

Doe posted...

80/80

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/8599-if-you-were-an-rpg-character-which-would-be-your-highest

In this poll, a majority of GFAQs users chose INT or PER to be their highest stat. At first I was thinking, wow, GFAQs users are deluded and also physically unfit so the only viable option for them was wits. And that may very well be true. But then I thought more, and the thing about video games is that they always put the player in a problem-solving position. No matter how smart or experienced NPCs are in the Elder Scrolls or Fallout or DnD, it will pretty much fall to you to actually get things accomplished. Games are basically designed to make you feel smart by setting up problems and giving you the ability to solve them. I wonder what the poll results would be for this in a more generalized audience than just GFAQs users; I suspect a similar result would still occur if this poll was given on Twitter or through a phone poll.

I feel like those are a series of rather stupid rationalizations where none are really needed. Your core premise is built around a stunningly naive -- but depressingly common -- bad assumption: that the numbers *should* be balanced. And indeed, across the general population, there might be a balance; however, different communities are going to consist of different demographics. There's no issue with intelligence or perception vastly outweighing the others anymore than there would be if you walked into sports team's locker room and got answers mostly consisting of strength, agility, or charisma.

And, FWIW, having seen the absurd numbers of spelling errors and grammatical atrocities in the average person's writing -- even among those who SHOULD know better -- I can see why most Gamefaqs users would think themselves more intelligent than the average person. Not to mention that I fully expect most posters' GPAs were higher than average.

As for assumptions among the general population, keep in mind a lot of people don't see themselves as intelligent. Depending on a person's academic performance and the things they're most often complimented for, their self-image can change accordingly. I know a lot of people who describe themselves as not being very smart -- and, to be absolutely blunt, many times those assessments are correct. And there are others who view their intelligence highly but single out a different skill, like charisma.

Personally, when I was younger, ALL of my "stats" were probably greater than that of the average person (except maybe luck). And there was nothing particularly unusual there because some people are above average while others are below average. However, the strength and agility gradually drops off a bit with age.