Can numbers really lie?
Numbers can lie to you. Numbers lie not when they are clearly wrong (that is obvious), but when they are subtly incorrect and it is hard to know they are wrong. You can use good judgement and make the right decision based on bad data, which in the end will be a bad decision.
What is the saying about numbers don’t lie?
For 95 years, people have attibuted this quote to Mark Twain. But its real history predates Twain…and it couldn’t be more true today than it was in 1854 in its original and anonymous form… “Figures won’t lie: but men that draw up the tables may.”
What is it called when you can’t lie?
Everyone lies from time to time. However, some people lie more frequently than others and may lie without cause. If a person’s habit of lying negatively affects their life, or if they feel unable to stop lying, then they may have a condition known as pathological lying.
Can numbers be manipulated?
There are several undeniable truths about statistics: First and foremost, they can be manipulated, massaged and misstated. Second, if bogus statistical information is repeated often enough, it eventually is considered to be true.
What can be done to numbers to mislead?
Bad Sampling The data can be misleading due to the sampling method used to obtain data. For instance, the size and the type of sample used in any statistics play a significant role — many polls and questionnaires target certain audiences that provide specific answers, resulting in small and biased sample sizes.
What is the saying about numbers lie?
“Lies, damned lies, and statistics” is a phrase describing the persuasive power of numbers, particularly the use of statistics to bolster weak arguments. It is also sometimes colloquially used to doubt statistics used to prove an opponent’s point.
Why do numbers lie?
Numbers can lie if you let them. This means they focus on the top number of a fraction, the numerator. They ignore the bottom one, the denominator. This leads to some very interesting conclusions that often have nothing to do with reality.
What does figures dont lie but liars figure mean?
Figure, the verb, refers to calculating, doing mathematics. The point of the saying is that you can start with accurate data (“figures don’t lie”), but the data can be manipulated by someone knowledgeable and unscrupulous (“liars can do the figuring”).
What do you call someone who never tells the truth?
A liar is someone who doesn’t tell the truth.