Don’t Blame the Numbers, it’s not their fault.
“Numbers don’t lie.” We’ve all heard this cliché before. If you haven’t, might be a good time to get some perspective on this old-school saying. As I have the privilege of teaching math, I discovered that students have taught me much. They eagerly (on most occasions) look to me for honesty as I teach the subject matter. For example, we all know that 1 + 1 = 2. But it wouldn’t be a stretch to convince a student who doesn’t have a complete knowledge of the subject that 1 + 1 = 11. Visually, it looks like two 1’s right next to each other could be the same as 11. (And our society is so big on visual appearances) So, did the numbers lie if I say 11? Nope. Or did I miscommunicate the reality of basic arithmetic to mess up a student or satisfy a sick separate agenda of mine? Or, am I really just that bad of a teacher and should not be in this line of teaching?
My point is that while true math is pretty straight forward and the numbers, when properly configured with the appropriate math discipline, aren’t there to confuse you. They are there to bring forth a universal truth/answer. But, as a magician with the use of slight of hand, I can “make the numbers say whatever I want them to say to accomplish my agenda.”
I believe that our society has been seeing this “basic” truth of numbers for years now applied not to present the honest facts but to accomplish any hidden or not so hidden agenda. So, one might be able to say that while “numbers don’t lie” we can definitely “make the numbers say what we want them to say.” Deception, lies and pure selfishness are usually the first motivators that lay the foundation for “research” or “presentation” of “the facts” whose ultimate goal lies in the hands of those who pay for that same research.
So, intelligence demands that we pause first and then examine completely all the facts of any issue that impacts our lives before blindly following or agreeing to others whose decisions affect our lives. We can always agree to disagree (or it used to be that way). If we continue to blindly follow the herd, we may witness our society begin to believe that 1 + 1 = 11, thus throwing our society into chaos of no absolutes and a deep-seated confusion of identity. What do you think?