[auggierose]

I'd say the comparison is not quite right, as everyone can be assigned an IQ (however useful that may be), but not everyone aspires to be an NBA player or A-List actress.

[zepto]

How do you assign an IQ to someone who doesn't want to be tested?

[auggierose]

You don't have to, you can just use basic statistics for that, because the pool of people who have an IQ is everyone.

The pool of people who aspire to be NBA players or A list actresses is not everyone though, so you have to estimate first the respective pools.

[zepto]

False. Aspiration is a red herring.

You can just as easily use statistics to assess whether an individual possesses the traits to become an NBA player or actress as you can assess their IQ without their cooperation.

Conversely if someone doesn't want to participate in IQ testing, it is equivalent to them not wanting to play in the NBA.

[auggierose]

There is no doubt that you can DEFINE this to be equivalent. But then you are measuring something different from what I am interested in.

[zepto]

I'm not doing anything with definitions. You have introduced an arbitrary distinction which is based on no measurable characteristic.