can you believe this?

Question

if you search in the answers archives you will find two questions asking people's age. one is "how old are you and how old do you wish you were?" the average age was about 40 someone else asked "how old are you and where do you live" the average was early 20's. how does that work?

Answer 1

Younger people are more likely to respond to trivial questions that have no consequence: "where do you live?"
Older people are more responsive to questions that require thought or self-analysis: "How old do you wish you were?"
Young people don't generally wish to be older or younger.
Older (than 20's) people probably have hindsight and nostalgia for the past.

Answer 2

Probably just because of the people answering the questions at those times.

And 40 is NOT old.... geez.

Answer 3

Works all the time.

Answer 4

The same as any poll you add the numbers divide by the number of people asking and you get your average

Answer 5

Maybe one was posted in the morning when all of the old people were up and the young people were still in bed.
Maybe the other one was posted at night , when all of the young people are up and all of the old people are in bed.

Answer 6

Every 12 year old says they are 40
Every 40 year old say's they are 20
That is how that works

Answer 7

Older people have a past that they think about returning to, sometimes. Younger people haven't lived enough life yet to have anything worth returning to.

Answer 8

different people of different ages answered the questions OR they lied about their age one or both of the times!!!

Answer 9

I guess it just depends on who is on and answering at that time.