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What does Figures lie and liars figure mean?

What does Figures lie and liars figure mean?

The old saying is that “figures will not lie,” but a new saying is “liars will figure.” It is our duty, as practical statisticians, to prevent the liar from figuring; in other words, to prevent him from perverting the truth, in the interest of some theory he wishes to establish.

Who said statistics lie and liars use statistics?

minister Benjamin Disraeli
It is the British prime minister Benjamin Disraeli who is famously credited with the phrase: “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics” but the expression has been around almost as long as the word statistics (first coined in 1749 for those wondering).

What is it called when people lie in statistics?

Misleading with statistics is called ‘statisticulation’ and. it is nothing new.

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Why do people use statistics to lie?

Yes, using statistics to lie is easy – as you will soon see. And, statistics are a valid and useful tool. They allow us to describe and find out about the way we live in every sense. They offer perspective on the past and make the future predictable or, at least, feel that way.

What does numbers dont lie mean?

At first glance, it means people intentionally use numbers to misinform other people. In my opinion, I think he was implying that people have a tendency to misuse numbers unintentionally. Data abounds.

What is meant by the expression data doesn’t lie ‘?

distortion of data -this technique is used to convince the audience by using selected information and not presenting the complete story. misuse of statistics -using statistics to mislead the casual observer into believing something other than what the data shows.

How Do statistics lie?

How to Lie with Statistics is a book written by Darrell Huff in 1954 presenting an introduction to statistics for the general reader. Not a statistician, Huff was a journalist who wrote many “how to” articles as a freelancer….How to Lie with Statistics.

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First edition
Author Darrell Huff
Publication date 1954

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.

Who said there are three kinds of lies?

Benjamin Disraeli
As Benjamin Disraeli said “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” And the same is as true today as when he first coined the phrase.

What does it mean to say statistics are three kinds of lies?

It is also sometimes colloquially used to doubt statistics used to prove an opponent’s point. The phrase was popularised in the United States by Mark Twain (among others), who attributed it to the British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli: “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.”.

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Where does the phrase there is nothing lies like statistics come from?

There is nothing lies like statistics. As more printed material from the late 19th century becomes digitally available I’ve little doubt that the dates above will be pushed backwards. As things stand, the earliest example of the phrase comes from Balfour in 1892.

Do figures lie or lie?

The usual phrase is, “Figures don’t lie, but liars figure.” It’s often attributed to Mark Twain, but without evidence. While of course a figure, or number or statistic, can be wrong; there are many cases in which nearly everyone agrees on objective counts or measurements.

Are there three degrees of comparison in lying?

There are liars, there are outrageous liars, and there are scientific experts. This has lately been adapted to throw dirt upon statistics. There are three degrees of comparison, it is said, in lying. There are lies, there are outrageous lies, and there are statistics. The phrase has been used in a number of popular expositions, including: