The Personal Website of Mark W. Dawson

Perception Is Not Reality

Facts and figures don’t lie, except they do if they are misused, as I have written in my article on "Oh What A Tangled Web We Weave". However, the biggest factual lies are factual misperceptions. We may think that we know the facts, but often we do not really know the facts.

A recent YouGovAmerica poll asked Americans about the average representative percentages for demographics, including household income, race, religion, political affiliation, and others. What the data showed, according to Senior Survey Data Journalist Taylor Orth, was that “Americans tend to vastly overestimate the size of minority groups.” These are the results of the questions asked of ordinary people on the street. The actual numbers come from the US Census Bureau.

• What percentage of the country is Asian?
  Response 29%
  Actual 6%.
• What percentage of the country is Black?
  Response 41%
  Actual 12%.
• What percentage of the country is Hispanic?
  Response 39%
  Actual 17%.
• What percentage of the country is Native American?
  Response 27%
  Actual 1%.
• What percentage of the country is White?
  Response 64%
  Actual 59%.
• What percentage of the country are Bisexual?
  Response 29%
  Actual 4%.
• What percentage of the country are Gay or Lesbian?
  Response 30%
  Actual 3%.
• What percentage of the country are Transgendered?
  Response 21%
  Actual 1%.

• What percentage are Atheists?
  Response 33%
  Actual 3%.
• What percentage are Catholic?
  Response 41%
  Actual 22%.
• What percentage are Christian?
  Response 70%
  Actual 58%.
• What percentage are Jewish?
  Response 30%
  Actual 2%.
• What percentage are Muslim?
  Response 27%
  Actual 1%.

• What percent of Americans live in NY City?
  Response 30%
  Actual 3%.
• What percent of Americans live in Texas?
  Response 30%
  Actual 9%.
• What percent of Americans live in California?
  Response 32%
  Actual 12%.

• How many families make over $1,000,000 a year?
  Response 22%
  Actual <1%.
• How many families make over $500,000 a year?
  Response 26%
  Actual 1%.
• How many families make over $100,000 a year?
  Response 38%
  Actual 34%.
• How many families make over $50,000 a year?
  Response 62%
  Actual 50%.
• How many families make over $25,000 a year?
  Response 82%
  Actual 62%.

• What percent of Americans own a car?
  Response 88%
  Actual 68%.
• What percent of Americans own a gun?
  Response 54%
  Actual 32%.
• What percent of Americans own a house?
  Response 65%
  Actual 49%.
• What percent of Americans have a pet?
  Response 67%
  Actual 62%.
• How many Americans are Democrats?
  Response 51%
  Actual 42%.
• How many Americans are Republicans?
  Response 50%
  Actual 47%.

• What percent of Americans have at least a High School degree?
  Response 65%
  Actual 89%.
• What percent of Americans have at least a college degree?
  Response 47%
  Actual 33%.
• What percent of Americans have an advanced degree?
  Response 37%
  Actual 12%.

• What percent of Americans are members of a union?
  Response 36%
  Actual 4%.
• What percent of Americans are first-generation immigrants?
  Response 33%
  Actual 14%.

• What percentage of Americans are married?
  Response 55%
  Actual 51%.
• What percentage of marriages are of mixed race?
  Response 50%
  Actual 1%.

As I am not a fan of polls, as I have written in my article "Public Polling". As such, I believe that the above response polling numbers are probably not accurate. While they may not be accurate, they are probably not far off. The big take from this poll is the large gap between the response’s percentages and the actual percentages, and I believe that this gap exists. Thus, we have an American opinion that is based on a perception of reality that does not comport with the facts of reality.

Demagogues love misperceptions, politicians utilize misperceptions, and activists promote misperceptions, all in the name of advancing their causes. The "Mainstream Media", "Mainstream Cultural Media", "Social Media", "Big Tech",  "Modern Big Business", and "Modern Education" also utilize or promote misperceptions or at least do to try to correct the misperceptions. For those that do not believe this or argue that it is not true, I would respond with a quote from Charles L. Black, " I think we ought to exercise one of the sovereign prerogatives of philosophers- that of laughter."

But it is no laughing matter. These misperceptions are bad for the body politic, as making a decision based on perceptions always leads to a bad decision. Misperceptions that lead to divisiveness in America and bad decisions that have negative repercussions for our society. Consequently, before making any decision, it is important that you determine the facts and disregard the misperceptions.