Average chess rating?

Does anybody know what is the average Elo rating in chess?  I heard that some people said that 2200 is the average rating in chess, which sadly makes me below average it seems, since my rating is only 1850, and I don't like to be called a bad chess player.  People have been making fun of my chess skills for not being the best player ever.

''since my rating is only 1850'' 

if 2200 was the average rating, and 700 million people play chess worldwide, then that would mean 350 million NM's worldwide thereabouts...

Well, I'm not the one who says 2200 is the average chess rating.  It's just that people have been calling me a bad chess player when I'm below that Elo rating.

I think 1200 would be nearer the truth ...

PS I just googled it: http://chess.stackexchange.com/questions/2550/whats-the-average-elo-rating-whats-the-average-uscf-rating

Mean rating of all USCF players with established ratings (253,000 players): 1165.

Mean rating of all active USCF players with established ratings (46,000 players): 1315.

Live ratings are more dependable than online ratings since the amount of time each person uses in correspondence (online) chess is not regulated.

On this website my 1150 ratings on bullet, standard, and blitz are from 66-70% percentile. 

There are probably a lot of unused accounts that default at 1200

I don't know about real life ELO

A rating of 1850 is WAY above average, by hundreds of points.

I read somewhere about two years ago that the average club player is rated 1300.

If the average Elo rating is somewhere between 1200-1300, then I don't know why people have been calling me a bad player for having a rating of 1850, aka below 2200.

Maybe they're just trolling you?

You should note, you have only played 20 games. So your rating is still skyrocketing. Once you get to about 50 games, you will begin to see a more accurate rating which could be a couple of hundred of points below what it is now.

Even a couple of hundred points lower, it would still be above average.

Yes,of course.

I am nearly 1600 and it is hard to believe this is considered above average. I still feel like a pretty lame chess player a lot of the time.

I'm 2165, and I feel like a pooch, too.

Great. Not sure I will ever even get to 2165. So I guess I am doomed to a life of feeling inadequate in chess.

So you guys are saying that you feel like a bad chess player even at 2165?

I feel like a bad chess player whatever the time.

When I compare my games with those of people that I consider to be GOOD players, yes.

I doubt Emu feels like a bad chess player. I don't even feel that I am a bad chess player.

It just feels that way sometimes.

I would not be surprised if GM's often look at their play and feel like Homer Simpson: