How can you avoid feeling overwhelmed by frightening Covid statistics? @TimHarford has some advice. thetimes.co.uk/article/tim-ha…
Step One: Keep Calm🧘♀️
”I believe we should all notice our emotional reactions to the statistical claims that swirl around us,” says @TimHarford. ”Social media thrives on fear, anger and smug vindication.”
”I believe we should all notice our emotional reactions to the statistical claims that swirl around us,” says @TimHarford. ”Social media thrives on fear, anger and smug vindication.”
“There’s nothing wrong with feeling emotions,” he adds, “but we are not at our wisest when rushing to rage-tweet about a claim we did not actually check. So take a moment to notice your instinctive reaction to that astounding piece of data. Then look again.” 👀
Step Two: Get Context 🔎
“Statistics are often presented without any context at all: in a political speech, in a headline, or in a meme,” says @TimHarford. “Context-free claims should be a red flag, showing that all is not well.”
“Statistics are often presented without any context at all: in a political speech, in a headline, or in a meme,” says @TimHarford. “Context-free claims should be a red flag, showing that all is not well.”
“The most context-free of all statistical claims is the claim that uses no statistics at all – for example, the dramatic photographs of groaning shopping trolleys before the first lockdown, alongside reports of panic buying.”
“The statistics could have brought much-needed context. Kantar, a consultancy, found that in mid-March 2020, only 3% of shoppers had 'bought extraordinary quantities' of pasta.” 🛒
Step 3: Be Curious 🤔
“Most of us tend to be dismissive of new information that challenges our preconceptions, but curious people tend to be more open-minded, finding the new facts intriguing rather than threatening.”
“Most of us tend to be dismissive of new information that challenges our preconceptions, but curious people tend to be more open-minded, finding the new facts intriguing rather than threatening.”
Read the rest of @TimHarford's advice 👇 thetimes.co.uk/article/tim-ha…
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