Is the inability to quickly visualize and access numbers at the root of some of our most disastrous political decisions and debate?
Due to a lack of number sense, do you think many just embrace political sound-bites and sight-bites that appeal to emotions, personal experience and quick understanding?
How many of us really do the research when we read a fact to find out if that fact is legitimate. For example as we listen to fears related to immigration, how many of us truly research the fact that are associated with those examples to determine the truth in the matter.
It's my belief that too many Americans and world citizens in this data age don't "see" data clearly and are not able to compare numbers realistically.
For example when I read about the amount of dollars Kushner recently borrowed from a bank, I was dumbfounded. I wondered how one man of privilege could borrow so much money when so many people are counting coins to buy groceries and shopping at Goodwill on a Saturday afternoon--the statistical difference was astounding.
If more Americans truly understood numbers, less Americans would stand for the injustices that exist. Instead they would be working hard to right the wrongs and bring more equity to all people in our country.
I will be thinking more about this in the days ahead, and in the meantime, let me know if you agree with this, and if you do, what do you think we can do about it? If you don't agree, tell me why. I'm curious.
