Average Quote by Clay Shirky
![“Any system described by a power law [...] has several curious effects. The first is that, by definition, most participants are below average.” quote by Clay Shirky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/135/clay-shirky-3364_average_any-system-described-by-a-power-law-has_778085.jpg)
“Any system described by a power law [...] has several curious effects. The first is that, by definition, most participants are below average.”
About This Quote
Source Book: "Cognitive Surplus" by Clay Shirky, 2010
Power‑law distributions mean most participants contribute less than the average, creating a few highly active outliers.
In simple terms: Most people are below average in contribution.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and support the few high contributors.
Themes
inequality
participation
statistics
Mood
analytical
thoughtful
Type
explanatory
informative
When to use this quote
- Online communities
- open source projects
- academic research
- marketing campaigns
Key Concepts
Network theory
distribution analysis
Questions to Reflect On
- How does this affect community management?
- What can be done to encourage broader participation?
A Different Perspective
Focusing only on outliers may ignore valuable average contributions.
![“[N]ew technology enables new kinds of group-forming.” quote by Clay Shirky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/988/clay-shirky-3364_forming_n-ew-technology-enables-new-kinds-of-gro_57243.jpg)
