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Message: <blockquote data-quote="fusangite" data-source="post: 1085943" data-attributes="member: 7240">Joshua,Believe me, I'm not arguing that D&D is the number one choice for intellectuals as a recreational activity (or even in the top 100). What I am arguing is that D&D requires levels of math, abstract thought and literacy that many other recreational activities do not.It thus sets up barriers to entry or disincentives to participation for those who have difficulty with math, literacy or abstract thought. Or just don't enjoy these things. By having barriers and disincentives that keep people with poor literacy, math and abstract thinking skills out, RPGs, necessarily, over-represent those who do not have those difficulties. Let's suppose I had a club that met in a basement with 6' ceilings for monthly parties at which there were no chairs provided. Wouldn't you be surprised if the club included people over 6' tall in precisely the same proportion as people under 6'? It would sure surprise me.How about this: there are two service clubs in a city -- let's say the Shriners and the Lions. Both clubs do charitable activities, have regular meetings, hold breakfasts with guest speakers and have a couple of banquets at which everyone gets drunk. Now, let's suppose that the Shriners, for one of their charitable activities, donate blood at the Red Cross once every three months while the Lions do not. It would logically follow that the Lions would over-represent people afraid of needles and the Shriners would under-represent them. This is not because the Lions attract needle-phobes.People who are insecure about their literacy and numeracy are under-represented in D&D. Now, unless you posit that feeling insecure about your literacy and numeracy skills is in no way linked to actually being bad at these things, it follows that D&D over-represents people who are literate and numerate. According to IQ tests, etc. such people are clever.</blockquote>

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