"Lies, damned lies, and statistics ""Lies, damned lies, and statistics"" is a phrase describing the persuasive power of numbers, particularly the use of statistics to bolster weak arguments. 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."" However, the phrase is not found in any of Disraeli's works and the earliest known appearances were years after his death. Several other"
"p. 93(-94): NATIONAL PENSIONS [To the Editor of The National Observer] London, 8 June 1891 ""Sir, —It has been wittily remarked that there are three kinds of falsehood: the first is a 'fib,' the second is a downright lie, and the third and most aggravated is statistics. It is on statistics and on the absence of statistics that the advocate of national pensions relies…"" Later, in October 1891, as a query in ""Notes and Queries"", the pseudonymous questioner, signing as ""St Swithin"", asked for the originator of the phrase, indicating common usage even at that date. The pseudonym has been"
"attributed to Eliza Gutch. The American Dialect Society list archives include numerous posts by Stephen Goranson that cite research into uses soon after the above. They include: The phrase has been used in a number of popular expositions, including: Lies, damned lies, and statistics ""Lies, damned lies, and statistics"" is a phrase describing the persuasive power of numbers, particularly the use of statistics to bolster weak arguments. 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"
"is referred to as statistical literacy. There is a general perception that statistical knowledge is all-too-frequently intentionally misused by finding ways to interpret only the data that are favorable to the presenter. A mistrust and misunderstanding of statistics is associated with the quotation, ""There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics"". Misuse of statistics can be both inadvertent and intentional, and the book ""How to Lie with Statistics"" outlines a range of considerations. In an attempt to shed light on the use and misuse of statistics, reviews of statistical techniques used in particular fields are conducted (e.g."
"The first work, ""On Lying"", begins: """"Magna quæstio est de Mendacio"""" (""There is a great question about Lying""). From his text, it can be derived that St. Augustine divided lies into eight categories, listed in order of descending severity: Despite distinguishing between lies according to their external severity, Augustine maintains in both treatises that all lies, defined precisely as the external communication of what one does not hold to be internally true, are categorically sinful and therefore ethically impermissible. Augustine wrote that lies told in jest, or by someone who believes or opines the lie to be true are not,"
"sometimes. Old Testament accounts of lying include: In the New Testament, Jesus refers to the Devil as the father of lies (John 8:44) and Paul commands Christians ""Do not lie to one another"" (Col. 3:9; cf. Lev. 19:11). In the Day of Judgement, unrepentant liars will be punished in the lake of fire. (Rev. 21:8; 21:27). Augustine of Hippo wrote two books about lying: ""On Lying"" (""De Mendacio"") and ""Against Lying"" (""Contra Mendacio""). He describes each book in his later work, ""Retractions"". Based on the location of ""De Mendacio"" in ""Retractions"", it appears to have been written about 395 AD."
"to be broken when people insinuate, exaggerate or speak abusively or deceitfully. In ""Gestaþáttr"", one of the sections within the Eddaic poem ""Hávamál"", Odin states that it is advisable, when dealing with ""a false foe who lies"", to tell lies oneself. Zoroaster teaches that there are two powers in the universe; Asha, which is truth, order and that which is real, and Druj, which is ""the Lie"". Later on the Lie became personified as Angra Mainyu, a figure similar to the Christian Devil, who was portrayed as the eternal opponent of Ahura Mazda (God). Herodotus, in his mid-5th century BC"
"Big lie A big lie () is a propaganda technique. The expression was coined by Adolf Hitler, when he dictated his 1925 book ""Mein Kampf"", about the use of a lie so ""colossal"" that no one would believe that someone ""could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously"". Hitler believed the technique was used by Jews to blame Germany's loss in World War I on German general Erich Ludendorff, who was a prominent nationalist and antisemitic political leader in the Weimar Republic. The source of the big lie technique is this passage, taken from Chapter 10 of James"
"to face, and is what drives the Othello error. David Buller and Judee Burgoon coined this theory after 25 experiments in which they would ask one participant to attempt to deceive another. They concluded that people often say things that are not the truth ""To avoid hurting or offending another person, to emphasize their best qualities, to avoid getting into a conflict, or to speed up or slow down a relationship."" Following the lead of others who study verbal deceit, Buller and Burgoon label these three strategies falsification, concealment, and equivocation. The three differ in that falsification creates a fiction,"
"The Book of Lies (Crowley) The Book of Lies (full title: Which is also Falsely Called BREAKS. The Wanderings or Falsifications of the One Thought of Frater Perdurabo, which Thought is itself Untrue. Liber CCCXXXIII [Book 333]) was written by English occultist and teacher Aleister Crowley (using the pen name of Frater Perdurabo) and first published in 1912 or 1913 (see explanation below). As Crowley describes it: ""This book deals with many matters on all planes of the very highest importance. It is an official publication for Babes of the Abyss, but is recommended even to beginners as highly suggestive."""
"reasons. The term is often used in religious contexts, sometimes referring to passages in religious texts. Plato presented the Noble Lie (γενναῖον ψεῦδος, ""gennaion pseudos"" – literally, ""a lie or wrong opinion about origin"") in the fictional tale known as the myth or parable of the metals. In it, Socrates provides the origin of the three social classes who compose the republic proposed by Plato; Socrates speaks of a socially stratified society, wherein the populace are told ""a sort of Phoenician tale"": Socrates proposes and claims that if the people believed ""this myth...[it] would have a good effect, making them"
"a ""paid liar,"" a ""hired slanderer,"" and a ""poisoner of public opinion."" By 1917, Bethlehem Steel company announced it would start a publicity campaign against perceived errors about them. The Y.M.C.A. opened a new press secretary. AT&T and others also started their first publicity programs. Edward Bernays, a nephew of Sigmund Freud, is also sometimes referred to as the father of PR and the profession's first theorist for his work in the 1920s. He took the approach that audiences had to be carefully understood and persuaded to see things from the client's perspective. He wrote the first textbook on PR"
"How to Lie with Statistics 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. The book is a brief illustrated volume outlining errors when it comes to the interpretation of statistics, and how these errors may create incorrect conclusions. In the 1960s and 1970s, it became a standard textbook introduction to the subject of statistics for many college students. It has become one of the best-selling statistics books in history,"
"Boese, the creator of the Museum of Hoaxes, states that the only distinction between them is the reaction of the public, because a fraud can be classified as a hoax when its method of acquiring financial gain creates a broad public impact or captures the imagination of the masses. One of the earliest recorded media hoaxes is a fake almanac published by Jonathan Swift under the pseudonym of Isaac Bickerstaff in 1708. Swift predicted the death of John Partridge, one of the leading astrologers in England at that time, in the almanac and later issued an elegy on the day"
"while still managing to teach complex mathematical concepts. His most famous text, ""How to Lie with Statistics"", is still being translated into new languages. His books have been published in over 22 languages, and continue to be used in classrooms the world over. Darrell Huff Darrell Huff (July 15, 1913 – June 27, 2001) was an American writer, and is best known as the author of ""How to Lie with Statistics"" (1954), the best-selling statistics book of the second half of the twentieth century. Huff was born in Gowrie, Iowa, and educated at the University of Iowa, (BA 1938, MA"
"philosophers St. Augustine, as well as St. Thomas Aquinas and Immanuel Kant, condemned all lying. However, Thomas Aquinas also had an argument for lying. According to all three, there are no circumstances in which one may ethically lie. Even if the ""only"" way to protect oneself is to lie, it is never ethically permissible to lie even in the face of murder, torture, or any other hardship. Each of these philosophers gave several arguments against lying, all compatible with each other. Among the more important arguments are: Meanwhile, utilitarian philosophers have supported lies which achieve good outcomes – white lies."
"Lewis's trilemma Lewis's trilemma is an apologetic argument traditionally used to argue for the divinity of Jesus by arguing that the only alternatives were that he was evil or deluded. One version was popularised by University of Oxford literary scholar and writer C. S. Lewis in a BBC radio talk and in his writings. It is sometimes described as the ""Lunatic, Liar, or Lord"", or ""Mad, Bad, or God"" argument. It takes the form of a trilemma — a choice among three options, each of which is in some way difficult to accept. This argument is very popular with Christian"
"are certainly unbelievers in the true God ... The Old Testament and the Qur'an condemn the doctrine of three persons in God; the New Testament does not expressly hold or defend it, but even if it contains hints and traces concerning the Trinity, it is no authority at all, because it was neither seen nor written by Christ himself, nor in the language he spoke, nor did it exist in its present form and contents for - at least - the first two centuries after him. David Benjamin Keldani David Benjamin Keldani or Dawud Benyamin (1867 – ""c"".1940) was a"
"has been widely cited. William David Sloan has commented that ""his many books, articles, and speeches helped set the tone and added to the debate surrounding journalism education for a half century."" He authored two skeptical works ""Hoaxes"" (1958) and ""Superstition and the Press"" (1983). His book on hoaxes has been described as a classic on the subject. MacDougall defined a hoax as ""a deliberately concocted untruth made to masquerade as truth."" Curtis D. MacDougall Curtis Daniel MacDougall (1903 - 1985) was an American journalist, teacher and writer. MacDougall was born in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. He obtained a BA"
"In his 2008 book ""How to Make Good Decisions and Be Right All the Time"", Iain King suggested a credible rule on lying was possible, and defined it as: ""Deceive only if you can change behaviour in a way worth more than the trust you would lose, were the deception discovered (whether the deception actually is exposed or not)."" In ""Lying"", neuroscientist Sam Harris argues that lying is negative for the liar and the person who's being lied to. To say lies is to deny others access to reality, and often we cannot anticipate how harmful lies can be. The"
"Douglas Reed Douglas Launcelot Reed (11 March 1895 – 26 August 1976) was a British journalist, playwright, novelist and author of a number of books of political analysis. His book ""Insanity Fair"" (1938) was one of the most influential in publicising the state of Europe and the megalomania of Adolf Hitler before the Second World War. By the time of his death, Reed had been largely forgotten except for various remarks about Jews. Thus, when ""The Times"" ran his obituary, it condemned Reed as a ""virulent anti-Semite,"" although Reed himself claimed that he drew a distinction between opposition to Zionism"
"original edition contained illustrations by artist Irving Geis. In a UK edition, these were replaced with cartoons by Mel Calman. How to Lie with Statistics 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. The book is a brief illustrated volume outlining errors when it comes to the interpretation of statistics, and how these errors may create incorrect conclusions. In the 1960s and 1970s, it became a standard textbook introduction"
"by an insider"". Lewis appeared on the June 27, 2014, episode of ""Moyers & Company"". 935 Lies 935 Lies: The Future of Truth and the Decline of America’s Moral Integrity is a book written by investigative journalist Charles Lewis, published by PublicAffairs in 2014, as an exploration of the many ways truth is manipulated by governments and corporations. The title is a reference to the number of times the George W. Bush and seven top officials of his administration lied to the American public about the national security threat posed by Iraq prior to the 2003 invasion. The Wall Street"
"935 Lies 935 Lies: The Future of Truth and the Decline of America’s Moral Integrity is a book written by investigative journalist Charles Lewis, published by PublicAffairs in 2014, as an exploration of the many ways truth is manipulated by governments and corporations. The title is a reference to the number of times the George W. Bush and seven top officials of his administration lied to the American public about the national security threat posed by Iraq prior to the 2003 invasion. The Wall Street Journal said the book was ""one of the toughest critiques of television news ever written"
"speech citing Soon and Baliunas to claim ""that man-made global warming is the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people"". Later in 2003, Stephen McIntyre and Ross McKitrick published disputing the data used in MBH98 paper. They were given extensive publicity, and met Inhofe as well as making a presentation sponsored by the George C. Marshall Institute and the Competitive Enterprise Institute. In 2004 Hans von Storch published criticism of the statistical techniques as tending to underplay variations in earlier parts of the graph, though this was disputed and he later accepted that the effect was very small. In"
"shares authorship of the quote ""Well building hath three conditions: firmness, commodity, and delight,"" with Vitruvius, from whose ""de Architectura"" Wotton translated the phrase; some have termed his ""Elements"" a paraphrase rather than a true translation, and the quote is often attributed to Vitruvius. In 1651 appeared the ""Reliquiae Wottonianiae"", with Izaak Walton's ""Life"". Henry Wotton Sir Henry Wotton (; 30 March 1568 – December 1639) was an English author, diplomat and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1614 and 1625. He is often quoted as saying, ""An ambassador is an honest gentleman sent to lie abroad"
"trust among them, especially when security issues are at stake, and you need trust for lying to be effective. He concludes that it is easier for leaders to lie to their own people because there is usually a good deal of trust between them. Mearsheimer suggests that most political lies fall into one of five categories: inter-state lies, fear-mongering, strategic cover-ups, nationalist myths, and liberal lies. He explains the reasons why leaders pursue each of these different kinds of lies. He also says that international lying can have negative effects, and there he emphasizes ""blowback,"" which is where telling international"
"Black Lies, White Lies Black Lies, White Lies: The Truth According to Tony Brown is a 1995 book by Tony Brown, published by William Morrow & Company. Brown advocates for black self-reliance, and black separatism in general. He criticizes black politicians' ties to the Democrat Party. He stated that African-Americans make up four ""tribes"". Richard Kahlenberg of the ""Washington Post"" stated that ""conspiracy theories"", including those targeting the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and saying that AIDS research funds are not distributed properly, make up about 33% of the content. Kahlenberg stated that the criticisms of affirmative action for wealthier"
"away from lies and tell the truth. Every April 30th, Goldberg himself gives out honesty awards to companies, organizations, groups, and individuals that have remained truthful to their people. According to Times Dispatch, a recent Gallup poll found that nurses are the most honest people. In contrast, lobbyists, salesmen, and members of Congress are supposedly the least honest people. According to Goldberg’s book ""The Book of Lies: Fibs, Tales, Schemes, Scams, Fakes, and Frauds That Have Changed The Course of History and Affect Our Daily Lives"", the average person lies about 200 times a day with lies including omission and"
"a lie leads to a failed policy. He also emphasizes that there are two other kinds of deception besides lying: ""concealment,"" which is where a leader remains silent about an important matter, and ""spinning,"" which is where a leader tells a story that emphasizes the positive and downplays or ignores the negative. In his 2018 book, ""The Great Delusion: Liberal Dreams and International Realities"", Mearsheimer presents a critique of the geopolitical strategy he refers to as 'liberal hegemony'. Mearsheimer's definition of liberal hegemony includes a three-part designation of it as an extension of Woodrow Wilson's original initiatives to make a"
"point in the analysis will discuss the 'manner' and 'context' in which the statements were made. Professor Eugene Volokh of UCLA Law characterizes this context analysis as divided into five different areas. First, false statements of fact can lead to civil liability if they are ""said with a sufficiently culpable mental state"". This possibly includes conscious lies about military service. The second category is a subset of the first: ""knowingly"" false statements (deliberate lies). This includes things like libel and slander. These sorts of statements are specifically punishable because they contain malice. A third category are ""negligently"" false statements, which"
"to infest the bodies of pigs? Such a person if not divine would be a sorcerer and a fanatic."" Lewis's trilemma Lewis's trilemma is an apologetic argument traditionally used to argue for the divinity of Jesus by arguing that the only alternatives were that he was evil or deluded. One version was popularised by University of Oxford literary scholar and writer C. S. Lewis in a BBC radio talk and in his writings. It is sometimes described as the ""Lunatic, Liar, or Lord"", or ""Mad, Bad, or God"" argument. It takes the form of a trilemma — a choice among"
"Why Leaders Lie Why Leaders Lie: The Truth About Lying in International Politics is a 2011 book by the political scientist John Mearsheimer. The book argues that leaders lie to foreign audiences as well as their own people because they think it is good for their country, citing the example of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's lie about the Greer incident in August 1941, due to a deep commitment to getting the United States into World War II, which he thought was in America's national interest. The book maintains that leaders do not lie much to other countries, and that democratic"