Our minds have a natural tendency to use a one-dimensional scale to think about complex human traits, such as size, intelligence, character, or talent. If we are asked to assess a person’s size, for example, we instinctively judge an individual as large, small, or an Average Joe. If we hear a man described as big, we imagine someone with big arms and big legs and a big body—someone who is large all over. If a woman is described as smart, we assume she is likely good at solving problems across a wide range of domains, and is probably well educated, too. During the Age of Average, our social
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