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Why is 4 4 so common?

izotope.com - Part 4: Time Signatures Explained, Writing Songs in Odd Meters - iZotope

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Although a lot of pop music is written in straight 4/4 meter, there’s still room to change things up with odd-meter creativity. In this article, we’ll go over what odd meter is, when and why you’d want to use it, and share examples of the most common of uncommon meters to try out in your next song. Check out the other articles in our five part series on time signatures:

Prerequisite

Before we can define something as being “odd,” we first need to understand meter (or time signature). If this is your first time hearing these terms, or you feel like you need a refresher on the topic, head on over to Part 1 of the series to brush up on the basics.

Simple meters

As you know by now, 4/4 is by far the most popular time signature in the world. With four steady beats in each measure, it provides for a very stable rhythm. The top number in the time signature is easily divisible by two, which is what makes it feel "even." This is also true for time signatures like 2/4, 2/2, or 12/8. As you learned in Part 2 of this series, despite having an odd number on top, songs in 3/4 still feel particularly stable and good. Whether they're marked as being 3/4 or 6/8, these songs are based on a rhythm that consists of groups of threes. Threes are easy to divide into sub-beats, so it's easy for us to feel their pulse, which is why these meters don't feel "off" or "strange" in any way. 4/4 and 3/4 (along with their variations) are all part of what we call simple meters. These can easily be divided either by two or three (also called duple or triple meter respectively). Simple meters naturally feel stable because they allow us to easily "feel" the groove even when all you hear is the click. Odd meters, on the other hand, can create some very unusual and exciting rhythms.

What are odd meters?

Odd meters (as in strange ones) are those with no easy way to divide their sub-beats into equal groups. Take 7/4 for example. You can't easily divide its beats into equal groups of two or three. Odd meters (also called complex, irregular, or asymmetrical meters) will have to consist of a combination of twos and threes in order make up their full measure and create their pulse. They feel unstable, slightly off-balance, and, well, odd—which is precisely where their beauty lies.

Groupings

Let's have a look and listen to 5/8 time.

Listen to the first part of the audio sample. As you can hear and see, there's no way to just divide each measure into equal strong/weak pulses. Although you could count 1-2-3-4-5, 1-2-3-4-5, the groove will want to be subdivided into groups of beats, which will help create a more defined pulse. One option would be to have a group of two beats followed by a group of three beats (2+3) as you can see and hear in the second audio example. In this instance, the first and third beats of each measure are accented. Alternately, you could create a different pulse by flipping the order, first grouping three beats together, then two, (3+2) like in example 3.

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Is narcissism inherited or learned?

For example, according to a study by Livesley et al, as well as several other studies, narcissism is an inheritable trait, with a continuum existing with a normal and pathological personality at either end of the scale.

news-medical.net - Heritability of Narcissism - News Medical

Several studies of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) have assessed whether this condition is inherited and can be passed from one generation to another. For example, according to a study by Livesley et al, as well as several other studies, narcissism is an inheritable trait, with a continuum existing with a normal and pathological personality at either end of the scale. Genetics & Genomics eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a free copy The study by Livesley et al looked at 175 pairs of twins who all completed a questionnaire designed to assess 18 dimensions of personality disorder. The heritability of the dimensions was assessed using standardized tests and NPD was found to have the highest rate of heritability of all the dimensions (heritability coefficient 0.64). Of the other dimensions assessed, only four had a heritability coefficient of more than 0.5. Narcissism is typically characterized by an overly inflated self image, a sense of superiority over others and a lack of empathy. This is set against an underlying low self esteem and extreme sensitivity to criticism or rejection. One study by Chinese researchers explored in pairs of twins, the genetic and environmental bases of two personality features seen in narcissism, namely, intrapersonal grandiosity and interpersonal entitlement. Overall, 304 pairs of twins completed the Psychological Entitlement Scale and the Narcissistic Grandiosity Scale. The results showed that both entitlement and grandiosity were moderately heritable, at 35% and 23%, respectively, but traits were mainly independent of each other in terms of genetic and environmental influence.