It’s no secret that nearly everyone thinks they’re better than average.

You’d be hard pressed to find half of a given population who is willing to say they’re below average at driving, cooking, raising their kids, doing their job, etc.

Nearly everyone thinks they’re better than average.

Which, by definition, is impossible.

So what do we do with this information?

Personally, I like to use it as a sanity check. When I catch myself thinking that I’m exceptional at something, or that I’m less prone to make a common error than the typical person, I try to question my reasoning.

But this leads to an interesting dilemma – eventually we need to draw the line.

We’re all above average, and likely well above average, in several aspects of our lives. If we’re just playing the odds, we’re above average in roughly half the things we do.

So how do we decide which “things” these are? When we can safely conclude that we’re less prone to make common mistakes, and when we should simply accept that we’re just like everyone else?

The answer isn’t obvious.

I like to look back at my track record and think critically about my personal strengths and weaknesses, and how these pertain to the situation at hand. But even then, situational biases and misconceptions get in the way. Most of us don’t even have a good feel for what we do well, let alone how that applies to a specific situation.

So ultimately, I make a judgement and move forward carefully; knowing that even when I do something well, I’m not perfect, and that I’m generally prone to the same mistakes as everyone else.

-Brandon