Correlated (6 page)

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Authors: Shaun Gallagher

BOOK: Correlated
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Cruises

47%
of people say their closest platonic friend is not more attractive than them.

But among those who have been on a cruise,
63%
say their closest platonic friend is not more attractive than them.

----------------

32%
of people have been thrown a surprise party.

But among those who have been on a cruise,
44%
have been thrown a surprise party.

----------------

75%
of people aren't picky about foods touching each other on their dinner plate.

But among those who have been on a cruise,
88%
aren't picky about foods touching each other on their dinner plate.

DOUBLE PLAY

You're extremely likely to have been on a cruise if you both:

  • can swim freestyle
  • think fireworks displays are better when they're set to music
NO CORRELATION

People who have been on a cruise are almost exactly as likely as the average person to:

  • be more likely to curse than cry when they're hurt
  • like tomato soup
  • prefer silence when they sleep
Crying and Cursing

40%
of people have been in a fistfight.

But among those who are more likely to cry than curse when they're hurt, only
16%
have been in a fistfight.

----------------

66%
of people think nails that grew twice as quickly would be more annoying than hair that grew twice as quickly.

But among those who are more likely to cry than curse when they're hurt,
86%
think nails that grew twice as quickly would be more annoying.

----------------

36%
of people prefer cherry cola to regular cola.

But among those who are more likely to cry than curse when they're hurt,
54%
prefer cherry cola to regular cola.

DOUBLE PLAY

You're extremely likely to cry rather than curse when you're hurt if you both:

  • are a woman
  • have never projectile vomited
NO CORRELATION

People who are more likely to cry than curse when they're hurt are almost exactly as likely as the average person to:

  • follow the “if it's yellow, let it mellow” rule of water conservation
  • have taken an Internet hiatus
  • frequently text
Cursive

30%
of people say they have nice handwriting.

But among those who write primarily in cursive,
51%
say they have nice handwriting.

----------------

70%
of people want whipped cream on top of their sundae.

But among those who write primarily in cursive, only
57%
want whipped cream on top of their sundae.

----------------

47%
of people would rather have a colostomy bag than a feeding tube.

But among those who write primarily in cursive,
60%
would rather have a colostomy bag than a feeding tube.

DOUBLE PLAY

You're extremely likely to write primarily in cursive if you both:

  • have had a urinary tract infection
  • have cried over the death of someone you've never met
NO CORRELATION

People who write primarily in cursive are almost exactly as likely as the average person to:

  • consider themselves unlucky
  • know which directions “port” and “starboard” refer to
  • like their shower temperature to be just short of scalding
Death Penalty

58%
of people dislike Big Government more than Big Business.

But among those who support capital punishment, only
40%
dislike Big Government more than Big Business.

----------------

17%
of people think women have it easier than men.

But among those who support capital punishment,
33%
think women have it easier than men.

----------------

59%
of people find straight hair more attractive than curly hair.

But among those who support capital punishment,
72%
find straight hair more attractive than curly hair.

DOUBLE PLAY

You're extremely likely to support capital punishment if you both:

  • think ambition influences success more than privilege
  • enjoy fiction more than nonfiction
NO CORRELATION

People who support capital punishment are almost exactly as likely as the average person to:

  • belong to a gym or fitness center
  • prefer green apples to red apples
  • dislike sideburns
Decision Making

58%
of people don't have sinus issues.

But among those whose emotions influence their decisions more than logic or reasoning,
77%
don't have sinus issues.

----------------

53%
of people say they have average (or worse) reflexes.

But among those whose emotions influence their decisions more than logic or reasoning,
71%
say they have average (or worse) reflexes.

----------------

22%
of people would rather see increased funding to the arts than to the sciences.

But among those whose emotions influence their decisions more than logic or reasoning,
38%
would rather see increased funding to the arts than to the sciences.

DOUBLE PLAY

You're extremely likely to say that your emotions influence your decisions more than logic or reasoning if you both:

  • are a woman
  • leave your emails in your inbox after you've read them
NO CORRELATION

People whose emotions influence their decisions more than logic or reasoning are almost exactly as likely as the average person to:

  • prefer cushioned toilet seats
  • prefer compact umbrellas over full-size umbrellas
  • think it's sometimes OK for a significant other to keep photos of old flames
Deep-Dish Pizza

60%
of people prefer mechanical pencils.

But among those who prefer deep-dish pizza to thin-crust pizza,
71%
prefer mechanical pencils.

----------------

60%
of people don't own an iPad or other tablet.

But among those who prefer deep-dish pizza to thin-crust pizza,
70%
don't own an iPad or other tablet.

----------------

49%
of people prefer creamy salad dressings.

But among those who prefer deep-dish pizza to thin-crust pizza,
58%
prefer creamy salad dressings.

DOUBLE PLAY

You're extremely likely to prefer deep-dish pizza to thin-crust pizza if you both:

  • pray
  • would like to take a martial arts class
NO CORRELATION

People who prefer deep-dish pizza to thin-crust pizza are almost exactly as likely as the average person to:

  • have idiosyncratic rules about how they eat their Kit-Kat bar
  • have a throwaway email address
  • be married
Diaries

47%
of people bring their lunch more often than they buy their lunch.

But among those who keep a diary or journal,
65%
bring their lunch more often than they buy their lunch.

----------------

27%
of people make New Year's resolutions.

But among those who keep a diary or journal,
45%
make New Year's resolutions.

----------------

43%
of people are involved in volunteer work.

But among those who keep a diary or journal,
58%
are involved in volunteer work.

DOUBLE PLAY

You're extremely likely to keep a diary or journal if you both:

  • like to write lists
  • have read
    The Hunger Games
NO CORRELATION

People who keep a diary or journal are almost exactly as likely as the average person to:

  • think Adam and Eve had belly buttons
  • prefer soft-shell tacos
  • say they're typically believed to be younger than they are
Dodge Ball vs. Kickball

69%
of people prefer physics to chemistry.

But among those who prefer dodge ball over kickball,
81%
prefer physics to chemistry.

----------------

59%
of people find straight hair more attractive than curly hair.

But among those who prefer dodge ball over kickball,
68%
find straight hair more attractive than curly hair.

----------------

47%
of people prefer cold weather over hot.

But among those who prefer dodge ball over kickball,
56%
prefer cold weather over hot.

DOUBLE PLAY

You're extremely likely to prefer dodge ball over kickball if you both:

  • enjoy role-playing games
  • don't bruise easily
NO CORRELATION

People who prefer dodge ball over kickball are almost exactly as likely as the average person to:

  • live alone
  • smoke
  • believe aliens exist
Donating Blood

49%
of people say they feel like grown-ups.

But among those who have donated blood,
60%
say they feel like grown-ups.

----------------

28%
of people like creamed chipped beef.

But among those who have donated blood,
38%
like creamed chipped beef.

----------------

64%
of people say they are well informed about world events.

But among those who have donated blood,
73%
say they are well informed about world events.

DOUBLE PLAY

You're extremely likely to have donated blood if you both:

  • would agree to staff a kissing booth to raise funds for your favorite charity
  • are a registered organ donor
NO CORRELATION

People who have donated blood are almost exactly as likely as the average person to:

  • be in better shape now than five years ago
  • like horror movies
  • have cried during
    Titanic
Double-Jointedness

66%
of people like Liv Tyler more than Steven Tyler.

But among those who are double-jointed,
85%
like Liv Tyler more than Steven Tyler.

----------------

53%
of people say their signatures are illegible.

But among those who are double-jointed,
72%
say their signatures are illegible.

----------------

62%
of people are fans of Penn & Teller.

But among those who are double-jointed,
80%
are fans of Penn & Teller.

DOUBLE PLAY

You're extremely likely to be double-jointed if you both:

  • have had pink eye
  • watch the Super Bowl for the commercials rather than the game
NO CORRELATION

People who are double-jointed are almost exactly as likely as the average person to:

  • say they'd rather have a maid than a personal chef
  • prefer their toilet paper to hang against the wall
  • not be willing to let a stranger borrow a cellphone to make a call
Emergency Vehicles

50%
of people have ridden a motorcycle.

But among those who have ridden in an emergency vehicle,
62%
have ridden a motorcycle.

----------------

38%
of people have a higher opinion of Apple's iOS than of Google's Android OS.

But among those who have ridden in an emergency vehicle,
50%
have a higher opinion of Apple's iOS than of Google's Android OS.

----------------

35%
of people have mistakenly used the public restroom of the opposite sex.

But among those who have ridden in an emergency vehicle,
46%
have mistakenly used the public restroom of the opposite sex.

DOUBLE PLAY

You're extremely likely to have ridden in an emergency vehicle if you both:

  • have donated blood
  • like the singer Meat Loaf
NO CORRELATION

People who have ridden in an emergency vehicle are almost exactly as likely as the average person to:

  • say they would rather repeal the Nineteenth Amendment, which gave women the right to vote, than the Twenty-First Amendment, which ended the alcohol prohibition
  • like licorice
  • say a physical feature is the thing they like least about themselves

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