Lies, Damned Lies, And Statistics

2025-03-18

It was Mark Twain who famously popularised the saying, “There are 3 kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” He was not wrong. Got a weak argument? Find a stat and present it craftily to strengthen your point. Struggling to persuade someone? There’s always a way to use a stat inappropriately to create influence. Here’s an example: Your sales manager tells you, “We’ve seen a 100% increase in sales this week.” You rub your hands together in glee, mentally planning that holiday by the coast you’ve been wanting to take for ages. But then you realise… ...

It was Mark Twain who famously popularised the saying, “There are 3 kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.”

He was not wrong.

Got a weak argument? Find a stat and present it craftily to strengthen your point. Struggling to persuade someone? There’s always a way to use a stat inappropriately to create influence.

Here’s an example: Your sales manager tells you, “We’ve seen a 100% increase in sales this week.”

You rub your hands together in glee, mentally planning that holiday by the coast you’ve been wanting to take for ages.

But then you realise…

Last week you made one sale, this week you made two.

Statistically, that’s a 100% increase. In real terms, it means you made R20 instead of R10.

You sadly shelve your beach holiday plans. Again.

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#statistics #data #datamanipulation #stats #integrity #ethics #forensicservices #forensics #trailblazers

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