We see statistics everywhere. They are used to justify our actions. They promise better futures, or proof our assumptions.
But 73,6% of all statistics are made up. It's hard to trust those numbers when you know the truth. Yet still, they are guiding our lives.
Sure, those numbers always come from somewhere. But knowing the whole process, the whole truth behind the numbers they don't actually tell you that much. For example what was the target group, in which context was the numbers collected or how does the result compare to other information.
Somehow, it just is easier to trust something when it's put out on hard numbers. They make the facts 68% more plausible. We like to think we are good with numbers, but even those of us who are more mathematically talented often get fooled by the numbers.
It's quite probable to win in the lottery for example. Despite the fact that an individual line has one in a several million of winning the chance of somebody winning a jackpot is 82%, every week. It happens constantly. It is highly probable and therefore we think it might as well be us winning.
And yes, I made up all the numbers here except the first one which was made up by somebody else before me.