Correlated (7 page)

67%
of people find Australians sexy.

But among those who don't like to use exclamation points, only
55%
find Australians sexy.

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

44%
of people would rather be friends with Prince Harry than Prince William.

But among those who don't like to use exclamation
points, only
32%
would rather be friends with Prince Harry than Prince William.

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

74%
of people are more likely to arrange a bookshelf based on subject than book size or color.

But among those who don't like to use exclamation points,
85%
are more likely to arrange a bookshelf based on subject than book size or color.

You're extremely likely to not like using exclamation points if you both:

• are an overachiever
  
• are unaware of having ever been rickrolled
  

People who don't like to use exclamation points are almost exactly as likely as the average person to:

• own raincoats
  
• floss regularly
  
• prefer iced tea to lemonade
  

64%
of people think New Yorkers are cooler than Los Angelenos.

But among those who don't regularly exercise,
77%
think New Yorkers are cooler than Los Angelenos.

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

60%
of people stay in the movie theater until the credits end.

But among those who don't regularly exercise,
70%
stay in the movie theater until the credits end.

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

28%
of people like creamed chipped beef.

But among those who don't regularly exercise,
37%
like creamed chipped beef.

You're extremely likely to not regularly exercise if you both:

• aren't an overachiever
  
• can't name more than one song by Flo Rida
  

People who don't regularly exercise are almost exactly as likely as the average person to:

• regularly check their horoscope
  
• use the same password for pretty much everything
  
• buy the extended warranty on big-ticket items
  

35%
of people say mosquitos prefer biting them more than the average person.

But among extroverts,
56%
say mosquitos prefer biting them more than the average person.

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30%
of people are Justin Timberlake fans.

But among extroverts,
49%
are Justin Timberlake fans.

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

41%
of people aren't bothered by parents who kiss their adult children on the lips.

But among extroverts,
60%
aren't bothered by parents who kiss their adult children on the lips.

You're extremely likely to be an extrovert if you both:

• consider yourself very physically affectionate
  
• like anchovies
  

Extroverts are almost exactly as likely as the average person to:

• pig out when they're upset
  
• have dimples
  
• take off their shoes when they enter their home
  

38%
of people say they have an above-average libido.

But among those who don't wear glasses or contacts,
51%
say they have an above-average libido.

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

56%
of people always wash their hands after using a public restroom.

But among those who don't wear glasses or contacts, only
43%
always wash their hands after using a public restroom.

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

36%
of people say that as children, they liked when things were neat and tidy.

But among those who don't wear glasses or contacts,
48%
say that as children, they liked when things were neat and tidy.

You're extremely likely to not wear glasses or contacts if you both:

• don't have to have the last word in an argument
  
• never spill things on your keyboard
  

People who don't wear glasses or contacts are almost exactly as likely as the average person to:

• prefer emoticons with noses
  
• like the smell of citronella
  
• have a TV in their bedroom
  

If you were to create a chart that depicts ice cream sales and drowning incidents over time, you would find that they both rise and fall at about the same times of the year.

Does that mean that higher ice cream sales cause drownings or vice versa?

No. Statisticians call this a “spurious relationship” because neither causes the other.

The most obvious explanation for the correlation is that a confounding variable exists. Confounding variables, also called hidden variables, are pertinent factors that we may not necessarily take into account when we observe a connection between two unrelated things.

In this simple example, the weather is the confounding variable. People are more likely to eat ice cream when the weather is warm, and they're also more likely to swim (and drown) when it's warm out.

32%
of people say they have a lot of Jewish friends.

But among those who have fainted in public,
49%
say they have a lot of Jewish friends.

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

54%
of people are wine drinkers.

But among those who have fainted in public,
68%
are wine drinkers.

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

44%
of people think Saturday night is a better night to party than Friday night.

But among those who have fainted in public,
56%
think Saturday night is a better night to party than Friday night.

You're extremely likely to have fainted in public if you both:

• have dyed your hair
  
• regularly drink alcohol
  

People who have fainted in public are almost exactly as likely as the average person to:

• have visited a chiropractor
  
• prefer dark toast to light toast
  
• have dandruff
  

75%
of people find it hard to tell when someone's just being flirty, versus when they're really interested.

But among those who have written a fan letter to a celebrity, only
58%
find it hard to tell when someone's just being flirty, versus when they're really interested.

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

26%
of people like wall-to-wall carpeting more than hardwood floors.

But among those who have written a fan letter to a celebrity,
37%
like wall-to-wall carpeting more than hardwood floors.

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

21%
of people have dated someone they met on a dating website.

But among those who have written a fan letter to a celebrity,
32%
have dated someone they met on a dating website.

You're extremely likely to have written a fan letter to a celebrity if you both:

• prefer Good & Plenty over Mike and Ike candies
  
• would rather time-travel to the past than to the future
  

People who have written a fan letter to a celebrity are almost exactly as likely as the average person to:

• expect Social Security to be insolvent when they retire
  
• prefer to visit Philly for the Liberty Bell than for the cheesesteaks
  
• like cantaloupe
  

40%
of people think they would recognize the Dalai Lama if he walked past them in jeans and a Lakers jersey.

But among those who filter all their tap water,
57%
think they would recognize the Dalai Lama if he walked past them in jeans and a Lakers jersey.

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

69%
of people are bad at writing love letters.

But among those who filter all their tap water,
82%
are bad at writing love letters.

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

49%
of people say they are more focused on the future than the present.

But among those who filter all their tap water,
60%
say they are more focused on the future than the present.

You're extremely likely to filter all your tap water if you both:

• wash new clothes before you wear them
  
• like cauliflower
  

People who filter all their tap water are almost exactly as likely as the average person to:

• like professional wrestling
  
• have a best friend
  
• have bumper stickers on their vehicle
  

67%
of people know how to tie a necktie.

But among those who have been in a fistfight,
82%
know how to tie a necktie.

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

42%
of people carry around a pocketknife.

But among those who have been in a fistfight,
57%
carry around a pocketknife.

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

43%
of people have projectile vomited.

But among those who have been in a fistfight,
56%
have projectile vomited.

You're extremely likely to have been in a fistfight if you both:

• don't wear pajamas to bed
  
• own domain names
  

People who have been in a fistfight are almost exactly as likely as the average person to:

• find it hard to resist picking at scabs
  
• have a strong preference for a particular Monopoly game piece
  
• prefer flavored water over unflavored water
  

43%
of people dislike the scent of menthol.

But among those who think flag burning should be illegal,
58%
dislike the scent of menthol.

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

38%
of people don't have any sisters.

But among those who think flag burning should be illegal, only
24%
don't have any sisters.

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

26%
of people wouldn't want to know the sex of a baby before it's born.

But among those who think flag burning should be
illegal,
37%
wouldn't want to know the sex of a baby before it's born.

You're extremely likely to think that flag burning should be illegal if you both:

• consider voting a moral duty
  
• value security over liberty
  

People who think flag burning should be illegal are almost exactly as likely as the average person to:

• prefer to have turn-by-turn directions written out, rather than following a map
  
• prefer thin-crust pizza to deep-dish pizza
  
• prefer carbonated beverages
  

56%
of people don't have a strong preference for a particular Monopoly game piece.

But among those who floss regularly,
71%
don't have a strong preference for a particular Monopoly game piece.

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

27%
of people regularly use mouthwash.

But among those who floss regularly,
43%
regularly use mouthwash.

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

40%
of people have their best friend's phone number memorized.

But among those who floss regularly,
53%
have their best friend's phone number memorized.

You're extremely likely to floss regularly if you both:

• prefer earbuds to headphones
  
• like beets
  

People who floss regularly are almost exactly as likely as the average person to:

• call cola “pop” rather than “soda”
  
• like curly fries
  
• say their left leg is on the bottom when they sit cross-legged
  

69%
of people can roll their
R
s.

But among those who are good at imitating foreign accents,
84%
can roll their
R
s.

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

67%
of people are interested in geology.

But among those who are good at imitating foreign accents,
79%
are interested in geology.

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

60%
of people think they'd make good criminals, if their conscience weren't a factor.

But among those who are good at imitating foreign
accents,
71%
think they'd make good criminals, if their conscience weren't a factor.

You're extremely likely to be good at imitating foreign accents if you both:

• are comfortable speaking in public
  
• would rather compete on
  Jeopardy!
  than
  Wheel of Fortune
  

People who are good at imitating foreign accents are almost exactly as likely as the average person to:

• have nonsummer birthdays
  
• filter all their tap water
  
• prefer the term
  couch
  to
  sofa