31 Americans Overestimate Their Own Intelligence
In two nationally representative U.S. surveys conducted in 2009 and 2011, 65% of Americans said they were more intelligent than average. Among respondents with no college or some college education, 55% in the telephone survey and 62% online made that claim, although national data suggested only 47% of people with a high school diploma or GED ranked above average. By contrast, 73% of those with college or graduate degrees rated themselves above average, while estimates indicated that 81% to 84% actually were, meaning this group slightly underestimated its intelligence.
32 Mensa Members Report More Diagnoses
A 2015 survey of 3,715 American Mensa members, whose verified IQ scores placed them in the top 2%, found higher self-reported rates of diagnosed mood disorders, anxiety disorders, ADHD, and autism spectrum disorder than U.S. national estimates. Diagnosed mood disorders affected 26.8% of respondents, compared with a 9.5% national rate, while diagnosed anxiety disorders affected 20%, compared with 10.9% nationally. The researchers proposed that heightened awareness could produce an overactive, highly sensitive nervous system and chronic stress but presented this “hyper brain/hyper body” explanation as a preliminary theory requiring further investigation.
33 Passengers Retrieve Luggage During Evacuations
In a 2018 British survey of 2,049 adults, 35% of air passengers said they would retrieve some or all of their belongings during an emergency evacuation involving an immediate threat, despite instructions to leave everything behind. When researchers also considered evacuations without an immediate threat, 77% said they would take possessions in at least one of the two scenarios. The Royal Aeronautical Society warned that luggage can obstruct evacuations, injure passengers, or puncture escape slides.
34 Americans Overwhelmingly Believe Angels Exist
In a December 2011 Associated Press-GfK poll of 1,000 U.S. adults, 77% said they believed angels were real. Belief reached 88% among Christians, 95% among evangelical Christians, and 94% among people who attended religious services weekly. Even among people who never attended religious services, more than 4 in 10 believed in angels.
35 Workers Estimate 173 Productive Minutes
In an 8-hour day, a Vouchercloud survey found that the average UK office worker estimated being productive for only 2 hours and 53 minutes. The company polled 1,989 full-time office workers over age 18, and 79% admitted that they did not remain productive throughout the workday. Checking social media and reading news websites ranked as the most common distractions, while 65% said they could not complete a workday without such diversions. Of those workers, 54% believed that intermittent breaks made the day more bearable and improved their productivity afterward.
36 Mothers Earn Cool Mom Status
In a 2021 OnePoll survey of 2,000 American adults, 68% described their mother as a “cool mom.” Separately, 68% said they learned how to juggle responsibilities by watching their mothers “do it all,” while 62% of the cool-mom group credited their mothers’ willingness to discuss anything openly. Three-quarters of all respondents said their mothers deserved to be spoiled, naming luxury getaways, fancy restaurant meals, and fine jewelry among their preferred high-end Mother’s Day gifts.
37 Rock Fans Recreate Led Zeppelin
In 2005, about 3,500 rock fans polled by Planet Rock Radio chose members for an imaginary supergroup and ended up recreating Led Zeppelin. Singer Robert Plant beat Queen singer Freddie Mercury, while guitarist Jimmy Page finished ahead of Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash and Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. Voters also selected bassist John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham, giving every position to Led Zeppelin’s original lineup.
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38 Workers Report Punishment After Disclosure
In the 2017 Mental Health at Work report, 60% of 3,000 workers surveyed for the charity Business in the Community said they had experienced mental health issues because of work. Among those affected, 15% said that discussing the problem with a boss had resulted in demotion, disciplinary action, or dismissal. Just over 1 in 10 felt able to tell a line manager about a mental health issue, leaving many employees reluctant to seek support.
39 Russians Regret Soviet Union’s Collapse
In 2014, more than two decades after the Soviet Union dissolved, a poll found that 57% of Russian citizens regretted its collapse, while 30% did not. Four years later, a Levada Center poll found that the proportion lamenting the dissolution had risen to 66%.
40 Chinese Writers Forget Familiar Characters
In April 2010, China Youth Daily surveyed 2,072 people and found that 83% had trouble writing Chinese characters. A separate 2008 Chinese Ministry of Education survey of 3,000 teachers found that 60% had noticed declining writing ability. Known as “character amnesia,” or tibi wangzi, the phenomenon leaves people able to recognize familiar characters but unable to write them by hand, often after prolonged reliance on phonetic input methods. In 2011, the ministry responded by promoting weekly calligraphy lessons for younger students and optional classes for older students.
