Statistics: manipulation of facts

I am a lover of the great American sport of baseball. This sport is driven by statistics. Polanco is hitting .361, Wagner’s era is o.oo the next guys on base percentage that guys walks and hits allowed per innings pitched. These are true statistics as baseball doesn’t use variations. What you get is what you see.

The problem is that government and industry use statistics that are altered by formulas that are just attempting to confuse the facts as the need arises. Statistics are adjusted up and down to fit what they want you to think. The unemployment rate only shows those that are receiving benefits and has nothing to do with the true rate. Some have gone beyond coverage and some have never filed.

It is like the price of gasoline on average. You are told that is $3.07 per gallon yet this is not true as gas is sold at 9/10 of a gallon so add 10%. You may be told that the inflation rate is one number as the products used are chosen and don’t reflect the true costs. You are told that this percentage may suffer from this disease or disorder but this might be wrong as they only use samples. These samples can be chosen to alter the outcomes.

If you choose any type of medical career you must take statistics in order to complete your requirements for graduation. Why? Statistics unless kept true can be manipulated. There are formulas that you are taught that will adjust the numbers as you wish. Plus, add, divide, multiply all fit. It just depends on what result you wish.

The fact is that government and industry have taken simple math and adjusted it by statistical formulas to create false results. Just like on Election Day you are told that 3 to 4% might be the difference due to variations. Yet in most cases this is not true. Who came up with these numbers? It always sides with one over the other. Is someone trying to influence the outcome?

We need true statistics and stop this use of formulas that are supposed to correct the true numbers as this makes the entire study false. There have been studies done that have been adjusted after the first statistical outcome. Should anyone be allowed to redo this study by eliminating certain circumstances? Think of baseball doing this. Someone could say that this hit shouldn’t be counted because it could have gone either way. Well Ted Williams didn’t hit .400 due to a manipulation after the fact.

I was stunned to hear from a very dear friend of mine who is seeking a medical degree describe how these statistics made no sense. She feared failing the course because nothing added up. I told her to just realize that she was being taught to take simple statistics and make them look as someone else wanted others to see them. She was in fact being taught how to adjust the statistics to fit the desired results. It had nothing to do with the truth. It had nothing to do with true math. She was learning how to manipulate numbers.

That is when I realized that my government and industry were playing the game that they are. Adjust this and adjust that and you can come up with any desirable percentage that you wish. They ignore straight forward results and only go by these number manipulated studies that can show you non truths.

As I have said before, “keep it simple” and stop adjusting things due to reasons that are not sufficient. Is the truth so hard to acknowledge? Just keep it simple statistics.