Outliers

in statistical talk an outlier is a data point that falls far out from the expected average. Generally speaking, good data has all data points within two standard deviations of the average.

In human speak that means that while variation is expected and normal, overly extreme variation is an indication of a bad procedure for collecting information.

I am an outlier. I am not what you'd expect for a woman who had her first child while still in high school. Common sense says that such women end up poor, on welfare, and make terrible mothers. While I am not perfect and have spent plenty of time poor and on assistance, at 12+ years after the fact, I am a college grad with a master's degree, I pay my own bills, have a decent job and take good care of my children.

For a long time I have felt that I am not THAT special. I am not THAT much smarter or driven than other women. Today I have some indication of that fact in the form of an article and accompanying comments. READ about it here.

Note that I am not the only person to speak up and point out that they aren't unemployed welfare mothers living off assistance.

I don't know why I ended up differently that what is expected. I do know that if we studied the outliers we might find out why and in finding out apply that to our current systems and work to make the outliers the norm.