Sorry to interrupt but I have to respond quickly to the statistical question:

Quote:
Why are there some outliers, some numbers or personal traits so far from the center of the bell curve? I am OK with bimodal http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bimodal_distribution differences in a persons likes or traits. I just have a problem with the fringe things I have to deal with some times.


First - I don't use Wikipedia as a sole-resource and since I have to double check any information from Wikipedia I tend not to bother even looking there.

I am not a statistics major but have worked with data enough to comment (and I am a six-sigma black belt if anyone even knows what that is:)). Bi-modal just means 2 separate distributions that overlap. Bi-modal is important to recognize because you may not be able analyze the data properly (especially with determining Cp or Cpk) if you cannot sort out the data into two separate distributions.

Why there are outliers? That's the 64,000 question, isn't it?? Actually in test data analysis we look to see if there is something visually different with the part that failed early or late.

As far as using bell-curves for personality traits, there are so many issues that contribute to a person's personality. There is birth order, gender, parent's personality, FOO issues, core personality, friends, Books/TV/media exposure, etc.

What fringe things do you mean anyway? Extra-sensitive people, insensitive people, selfish people, extreme feminists, etc.???



But what is happiness except the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads? ~Albert Camus