Studies show that most people think they are above average in just about everything provided that they have already done the activity in question. It is certainly true about driving. Studies show that if you ask people if they are:
- above average driver
- average driver
- below average driver
large majorities will say that they are above average drivers. Of course that is statistically impossible. I know this is true for the US where being average is for some insane reason seen as actually a bad thing, but I wonder if it is true for other countries too? Anyway I think it rules out a biological predisposition to pessimism.
Reminds me of the fictional town of Lake Wobegon, where everyone in town is above average.