“The Average Man”—Did You Ever Size Him Up?—The Human Melting PotPosted in Anthropology, Articles, Media Archive on 2014-01-13 04:38Z by Steven |
“The Average Man”—Did You Ever Size Him Up?—The Human Melting Pot
The Day Book
Chicago, Illinois
1914-04-04
pages 3-4
Source: Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers (Library of Congress)
No phrase is more abused and overworked than the expression. “the average man.”
Whenever a person uses it, he refers to a being in which he personifies all the rest of the world. Generally he looks down on, this fellow, “the average man,” as not quit so important a person as himself. Jones may be more intellectual than I, Smith may be better looking. Brown more athletic, Robinson healthier, and Vanastorfeller richer, but I have to say this for myself, I stand higher than “the average man.”
Well, let’s look into the matter. If all the people were averaged in mental, moral and physical qualities, what sort of person would “the average man” be?
The “averaged” man would be an octoroon. One-eighth of the blood in him would be negro. But he would be darker than the octoroon of the United States for he would be more than one-third of the blood of the Hindus, and Chinese, Japanese and other yellow races, and of the white blood in him there would be only a dash of the blonde races of the northern lands. The Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, and other races which, while Caucasian, are dark, would mingle with the Hindu, and other Asiatics, and the blue-eyed, blonde-haired characteristics would be stamped out.
The “averaged” man would be as dark as a Jap. He would have eyes not quite as almond-shaped as the Jap’s, but distinctly of that type, on account of the admixture of Mongolian blood. He would probably have hair inclined to curl, because in Caucasian, Semitic and negro strains this sort of hair is common.
His eyes would be black or dark brown. His lips would be thicker than those of the white man, and, in spite of the hooked beaks of the Europeans, Arabs, Hindus and Jews, his nose would be shorter and flatter than is common with us.
He would not be a Christian; for the half-pagan Christianity of our race would be submerged in the whole-hearted beliefs of the other races. He would be strongly materialistic on account of the Chinese and Japanese basis of his blood, but he would sneak aside and practice foul rites, fetishism, voodooism and witchcraft.
The big Slavs, Germans, Scandinavians, Europeans generally, Americans, negroes and Indians would give him a stature greater than that of the Japanese and Chinese.
The “averaged” man would just about be able to read in the First Reader. He would be higher in political qualities than the Mexicans, but lower than the Japanese.
This “averaged” man would have a wife as a “help meet for him,” and about five children. There wouldn’t be enough provisions in the house for three meals, and the house would not be worth a hundred dollars. But the man would be just fair as to industry, and would probably get another meal in time to prevent the family from being only just a little famished.
He would be opposed to equal suffrage.