Statistics Quotes

Wry and thoughtful lines on numbers, data, and what they miss.

Several of these lines come from athletes shrugging off statistical talk in favor of team results, alongside a well-known jab likening reliance on statistics to a drinker leaning on a post, propped up rather than genuinely enlightened. Together they question how much numbers really explain. Compare with Data for more on measuring performance.


The recurring thread is skepticism: numbers get used to prop up an argument more often than to illuminate one. For related angles on measuring and interpreting results, see Analysis or Measurement.