Lies, damned lies, and statistics
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This well-known saying is part of a phrase attributed to Benjamin Disraeli and popularized in the U.S. by Mark Twain: There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.
The semi-ironic statement refers to the persuasive power of numbers, and succinctly describes how even accurate statistics can be used to bolster an inaccurate argument through such methods as selectively choosing data, ignoring bad results and over-emphasizing good results.
There is some doubt as to whether Disraeli actually coined the statement, since only Twain's autobiography backs this assertion. Alternative attributions include the radical journalist and politician Henry Labouchère (1831-1912).
Popular culture
This topic has received many popular expositions, including:
- The 1954 book How to Lie with Statistics by Darrell Huff, which is still in print a half-century after it was written.
- Lies, Damed Lies, and Statistics: Untangling Numbers from the Media, Politicians, and Activists, a book published by University of California Press in 2001 by University of Maryland sociologist Joel Best.