Not all can be below or above average.

Surveys show that most people believe they drive better than the averages, even while we know this can't be.  Too many financial advisors recommend individuals should invest only in ETF index funds because surveys show average investors can't beat the stock index.  If we wrongly assume we are all better than average drivers, we also wrongly assume we are all likely worse than average investors.  Further, as is rarely pointed out by these pros',  individual investors command select key advantages over large liquidity obsesses institutions; these have mandates not to consider smaller companies -which nevertheless combined often make-up the majority of a country's economy.  Not least, many smaller firms are growing faster than the averages and pay higher dividend yields.  While ignored by the institutions, these are to be pruned and picked by us, the empowered individual investor.