I'm a Mandarin!

In the mid-90s, in articles in The Atlantic and Time Magazine, Nicholas Lemann introduced the idea of three paths to success in American society -- that of Talents, Lifers, and Mandarins. He later went on to write a book, The Big Test, about the SAT as the Mandarin path to success.

You're an intellectual, and you've worked hard to get where you are now. You're a strong believer in education, and you think many of the world's problems could be solved if people were more informed and more rational. You have no tolerance for sloppy or lazy thinking. It frustrates you when people who are ignorant or dishonest rise to positions of power. You believe that people can make a difference in the world, and you're determined to try.

Talent: 44%
Lifer: 26%
Mandarin: 67%

Take the Talent, Lifer, or Mandarin quiz.

67197 people have taken the Are You a Talent, a Lifer, or a Mandarin?
(Version 2.0) personality test

Here are the results so far:

Talents: 33951 (51%)
Lifers: 22426 (33%)
Mandarins: 10820 (16%)

Hat tip to Confessions of an Exhausted Mind.