40 I Can Read You Like a Book
Examples:- Bill Gates is super-typical in the greater understanding
of American culture. A healthy 25-year-old man who
lives with, and is supported by his parents is sub-typical.
A 40-year-old woman who works in the human
resources department of a manufacturing company
is typical. Are there aspects of American culture in
which Bill Gates is sub-typical or labeled as a geek?
Sure. This helps us to better understand why demo-
graphics and statistics can be used to make any point
we want to make. - Within a high school group, you can easily spot the
kids who are the most admired. These super-typical
kids may be the athletes, cheerleaders, or student
council leaders, depending on the school. Next are
the masses, or the typical. In this group are the nor-
mal kids with average social skills who do not stand
out among the others. Kids with poor social skills popu-
late the last group; this may include the gangly kid
who is not comfortable with his quickly growing body.
These kids are the sub-typical. The students call them
names, such as “the bean” and “stick man” to remind
them of this status.
In this model the super-typical have sway over the typical, who,
in turn, disregard the sub-typical. They tolerate the sub-typical as
part of the greater group, but given the opportunity to separate,