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You are here: Home / Blog / The stories we can’t tell ourselves

The stories we can’t tell ourselves

Dan Cullum · Apr 22, 2022 ·

I came across a stunning chart today: Partisan differences in perceived share of deaths by age from COVID-19.

This isn’t a commentary on US politics (that’s not my thing!), but rather an appreciation post for how data can often tell the stories we can’t tell ourselves.

In life there is 1) what we think happens, 2) what everyone else thinks happens, and 3) what really happens. All three are usually different, and that’s okay.

But when there is data, and when it’s presented cleanly and clearly, we can start to identify gaps in our thinking.

Taking the above as an example, everyone overestimates COVID’s share of deaths for under 65s; swinging as far as 87x what’s actually occurring (i.e., democrats estimating COVID is responsible for 8.7% of deaths for those 24 and under). But everyone also massive underestimates COVID’s share of deaths for the over 65 category.

Data points that are placed into context tell fascinating stories. And if we’re willing to take the time to craft, check, and verify those stories, it can help us avoid or undo our faulty thinking.

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