anonym comments on Survey Results - Less Wrong

48 Post author: Yvain 12 May 2009 10:09PM

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Comment author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 14 May 2009 07:16:31PM 8 points [-]

I'm skeptical of the IQ data because of the number of IQs above 140. Most IQ tests don't measure well above IQ 140, and so even if we have that many truly exceptional people, I would not expect it to show up in their measured IQs.

Comment author: Vladimir_Nesov 14 May 2009 09:22:52PM *  2 points [-]

But if so many lied, it would also be a surprising fact, that doesn't seem to be a better explanation.

Comment author: anonym 17 May 2009 01:11:43AM 9 points [-]

It's only a little more surprising than somebody at an online forum for bodybuilders lying about how much they can bench press.

Comment author: Z_M_Davis 17 May 2009 04:40:43AM *  5 points [-]

I take it the reason it's not equally surprising is that few bodybuilders are as monomaniacally obsessed with The Truth as we are?

Comment author: anonym 17 May 2009 05:37:35PM 5 points [-]

Most human beings in any forum, anywhere, will be more obsessed with signaling and other concerns than The Truth -- even in a pseudo-anonymous survey -- and will be subject to most of the standard cognitive biases that bodybuilders will be, even if to a lesser degree. Being obsessed with The Truth does not mean never lying or exaggerating (or reporting just that one internet IQ test you took that was 1 std dev higher than your real-world test).