The Stats vs. The Story
Good statistics don’t just serve government planners; they are valuable to a far wider group of people.
Tim Harford • The Data Detective
There is another issue with the abstract state, a psychological one. We humans scorn what is not concrete. We are more easily swayed by a crying baby than by thousands of people dying elsewhere that do not make it to our living room through the TV set.
Nassim Nicholas Taleb • Incerto 4-Book Bundle
the tactic of simply refusing to collect basic statistics could only make sense for a libertarian, laissez-faire regime. And the truth is that very few people seem attracted by that prospect. For better or worse, we want our governments to take action, and if they are to take action they need information. Statistics collected by the state make for
... See moreTim Harford • The Data Detective
Muhammad Yunus, an economist, microfinance pioneer, and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, has contrasted the “worm’s-eye view” of personal experience with the “bird’s-eye view” that statistics can provide.