1 Percent "joke"
Most of the people protesting as "99 percenters" living in the USA or most "first world" countries, are really the "1 percenters" of the world. But that aside...
My "joke":
"I can't help it that I'm a 1 percenter (top 1 percentile), I was just born that way." :P (dons peril-sensitive fire-protection gear)
- Height = top .005%
- Birth length: 24+ inches (61 cm) = 100th percentile (>97 percentile = 55.90 cm), birth weight: 9 pounds 13 ounces
- Adult height 6'7" = 99.952 percentile (I used to be 6'8.75" = 99.995 before age and injuries compressed me).
- IQ = top 1% to 0.004% (scored anywhere from 90 through 165 (lowest due to medication)).
Cognitive Performance Is Highly State-Dependent
Usually, on average score around 135-145 = (135 = 99.01) percentile (I have scored as high as 165 (99.9877 percentile) and low as 110 (74.750 percentile) depending on medication, sleep/exhaustion, "swing" (manic, hypo-manic, down, etc.), etc., but most frequently Averaged = 136 (99.1802), Median = 147 (99.9136 percentile)), self-care etc.
Yes, these were half a dozen different Ph.D lead tests ranging from 5th grade all the up until a few years ago. Also, the full range was from 90 through 165, due to my health and medication issues. For example, my average unmedicated, not doing life balance, no nutritional supplementation, not sleeping right, not exercising, not meditating, basically not doing the "sleep, diet, exercise, environment, nutrition, meditation" self-care I know I should regularly do, I score in the 135-145 range (135 on the more exhausted overworked side, 145 on the more sleep but not much else side). The 90th through 120th results were when I was on psychotropic medications. I have bipolar, ADHD, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia, CPTSD, and other issues. On lithium i was pretty much exactly 100 IQ. Other meds lower and higher but all far below my personal "normal" range. When either taking really good care of myself, or hypo-manic (just manic enough to be super productive (excellent flow state abilities) but not crossing over into the disorganized full mania) I regularly scored between 152 to 165. These were unadjusted scores for my known LD's and disabilities, which are known to directly impact IQ test results. Adjusted scores from the comments of the test administrators suggested that "real world" depending on the circumstances and if the disabilities were a factor in those contexts, the scores would be expected to be considerably higher (10-40+ range), but really not much point in those. This is just statistical analysis, and kind of shows how all these numbers don't really accurately predict individual outcomes, just broad generalized trends.
I have undergone these tests about a dozen times throughout my life since 5th grade (1970s). These were proper clinically controlled tests by certified PhD level well-trained professionals. All of these were the actual (unadjusted) IQ base scores. Clinicians indicated in their documentation that the (adjusted) scores were actually significantly higher (adjusted IQ scores +10 to+40) if not for the dyscalculia, dysgraphia, medications at the time, bipolar swings (though my top scores were usually during a "hypo manic" phase, sleep deprivation, starvation, and ADHD factors of the time.One clinician broke up the testing a lot more than the others to try to accommodate my ADHD restlessness, and I scored over 168, but it was considered an invalidated test at the time because of the accommodations (rules have improved since those decades ago allowing for more accommodations on IQ tests). Note I have not had another IQ test since about 2006 or so, and I have received multiple brain injuries (lasting months), and been on severely cognitively impairing medications (breathing treatments) since 2012, so I would expect nowadays I would unfortunately see significant reduction due to potentially permanent impairments from these factors.
Income = was top 3%, currently around 9%
My peak income, when I worked in technology full time as CTO and consultant, was salary $150k plus bonus for a total gross cash income of $177,000 . The 177k does not include calculations of the benefits: insurance, 401k, stock options, or other investment or benefit options.
WIthout adjusting for inflation, just using the same 177k base number:
- In 2001, this income level was around the top 2-3. percentile
- In 2011, this income level was around the 99.6 percentile.
- In 2014, this income level was around the 99.7 percentile.
- In 2016, this income level was around the 96.8 percentile
- in 2021, $385,000+ around 99.x percentile.
In contrast, 1989 was the first time I was semi-homeless, for several weeks living in my pickup truck, before moving into a tiny 1-room slum house with druggie friends.
1991 was the second time I was semi-homeless, for several months mostly couch-surfing at friends houses (no cars or drivers license left).
1992-1993 November through February I was fully homeless, for several months sleeping on the streets or park benches in a sleeping bag, or in a tent up on the mountain side hidden in a small ravine above 3300 south (Salt Lake City, Utah). I went days between meals. I was down around 150 pounds (at 6'8"), and denied selling my blood for money due to being too anemic.
1995 I was the last time I was semi-homeless, for several months living in a camper on the back of my pickup truck (finally had my license back after 6 years), and in a field behind an abandoned house (with permission from a friend of a friend).
I definitely don't fit the higher percentile for education level. I flunked 8th grade, dropped out of high school in 11th grade, and floated in and out of community college with only a 1.1 GPA. I still only have an associates in computer science (GPA 4.0, 1998), with some (expired) technical certifications), though I am nearing completion (finally!) of an interdisciplinary overloaded bachelor's degree in Recreation Therapy, Music, Neuroscience, & Research Psychology. Normal B.A. at EWU is 180 credits, I am currently at 225 credits, with between 19 to 39 credits to go, for a total degree of around 264 credits. :-( So far I am maintaining a 3.7 GPA (for whatever that is worth, only matters if plan to go on to another/advanced degree).
I love learning. I am a life-long learner. While I love teaching, I do NOT like school, never have. I don't like the politics, I don't like the antiquated teaching techniques, the lack of applicability in life, the outright delusions of many there from logical falacies, etc. I have hired a lot of people, many for jobs paying $120k+, and college degrees did not improve your chances of getting hired by me. You needed to be able to effectively demonstrate real-world understanding, strong methodological and applicable skills.
There are very few PhD's in TR. I doubt I'm going to go beyond the BA and CTRS, I just don't like school, and hopefully I can just hire the people I need, rather than work toward a greater degree on my part. However, I have been getting a lot of encouragement/pressure from many others to go on to Masters & PhD, since I am one of the few Therapeutic Recreation Specialists actually interested (and doing) research. But I hate school. I can't say for 100% certainty, when this incredibly long, painful, slog through getting a bachelor's is over, that I won't go on for the higher degree, but I definitely DO NOT WANT to. Unfortunately, the academia, snobby, world, outright ignores research, no matter how properly/stringently implemented, from "lesser" individuals without PhD's. I want the research on role-playing games to get some real traction. And I want to see the profession of Therapeutic Recreation /Recreation Therapy, to advance, I believe it has a great advantage for clients, over PT, OT, ST, etc. I don't think they are mutually exclusive, I think we should all be working together as teams for the best needs of the client, rather than fighting over (billable) scraps, and messing with lobbies to undermine each other's professions (I'm looking at you Washington State Occupational Therapist Lobby adding "Recreation" to your job description, when you have little-to-no such training, especially for groups).
References
https://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/2000growthchart-us.pdf
http://money.cnn.com/calculator/pf/income-rank/index.html
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/01/15/business/one-percent-map.html
https://statisticalatlas.com/United-States/Household-Income