Kurtosis: a measure of peaked-ness

One of the lesser known calculations that statisticians have in their toolbox is the concept of Kurtosis. Sometimes called the fourth moment, it helps characterize the general shape of a probability distribution. Most people grind their teeth when they hear of Kurtosis and categorize it as “useless or “a bullshit concept”. What the general population doesn’t realize is that the beauty of Kurtosis is only revealed when it is taken out of the statistical context and applied to the world as we know it.

Some people call it self-evaluation, while others consider it to be a rough sketch of the human personality. Either way, Kurtosis is the modern way to categorize your best friends. What exactly is the peaked-ness of a man? There is no easy answer, but here a few examples that should help calibrate your internal “peaked-ness” meter.



Very Low Kurtosis

Tiny Tim is the classic example of Kurtosis approaching 0. Some people claim he is the only man to have ever been arrested for attempting to marry a ukulele.

Low Kurtosis

Even if he did win the election, there is no indication anywhere that anyone thinks Stephen Harper is a cool dude.

Extreme Kurtosis

There is absolutely no question that Bruce Lee embodies extreme Kurtosis. His peaked-ness comes not only from the sharp edges of his body but also from his breathtaking philosophy “Like water, sparring should be formless. Pour water into a cup, it becomes part of the cup. Pour it into a bottle; it becomes part of the bottle. Try to kick or punch it, it is resilient; clutch it and it will yield without hesitation. In fact, it will escape as pressure is being applied to it. How true it is that nothingness cannot be confined. The softest thing cannot be snapped."