Lameistics

Yep, I just created a new word. I like to think I’m pretty good at inventing new words. That sounds like a great accomplishment in itself doesn’t it? Not really, sometimes I just like to pat myself on the back. Anyway, what in the world is lameistics and what could I possibly have to say about it? We all know the words lame and statistics so I just combined them. It took about half a tenth of a second to think of it so it’s not a real feat or anything. It’s not like I just climbed the tallest mountain or figured out the theory of relativity. Ok, so we have lame statistics, or lameistics. This came to mind yesterday as I was reading an article on CNN’s website. The premise is this, how often do you see a statistical representation of something that you know inherently. It’s common sense. It’s the way it is. It’s a “duh” statement. However, what I get a kick out of is how often some of these “statistics” get such attention and wonderment applied to them.

One such example would be the all time greatest in my opinion: “The majority of car wrecks occur near your house.” Well if I have ever seen a “duh” statement that is one right there. Of COURSE on average that is where you will wreck your car. Statistically, where do you do the majority of your driving? Close to home. Averages then of course will say that the majority of wrecks happen close to home. This is an example of a lame statistic, or lameistic. I’m sure you’ve heard it. It’s been widely publicized for years in almost every driving study. Ok, a new one, the one that sparked this article came from a study yesterday about telephone habits. This study reported that for households with only cell phones, they were normally the lower income households. Really, I would have never guessed that one. Lower income households of course cannot pay multiple bills for the SAME service. Why would they need a cell phone AND a landline? Better yet, it’s another lameistic.

Where do all of these no brainer statistics come from? Why are they publicized? Do people actually get paid for doing these studies? Yes, people are getting paid to do these studies. When studies are done and statisticians get hold of the data gleaned from the answers and research, they report EVERYTHING they possibly can. Not only does it fill up a report, but it also makes for news stories, publications in journals, stories written about them, and possibly, even more studies. So, here we see study after study done, statement after statement being made, and all we really get out of most of these studies are answers to already known common sense facts. Great, now I know milk from a local farm has fewer preservatives in it than a gallon of milk bought at the local grocery store. Awesome, now I know the air I breathe in the city has more pollution in it than my town. Oh, and another great thing I didn’t know, if you smoke, you have a greater risk of health problems.

Why do we hear all of these common sense statistics? I’m sure there is real information within the studies that actually warrant publication and attention. My answer is this: Common sense doesn’t exist anymore. People rarely think about things anymore unless they are told, shown, or proven to them. Milk from a store isn’t as “clean” as your local famer’s? How can that be? Wouldn’t the government make sure the milk is good for us? The air is polluted in the city? How can that be? Hasn’t the government had laws enacted for years making sure the air we breathe is healthy? We wouldn’t be allowed to smoke if it were bad for us right? Doesn’t the government stop companies from poisoning us? It all sounds pretty “lame” when you think about it doesn’t it. Common sense, where have you gone and why have you been replaced with lameistics?

On the other hand, it is nice sometimes to see confirmation of common sense take place. It confirms what we think to be true with hard based fact from reality. But, it seems that if someone has a common sense idea about reality, we immediately have to have multiple studies to determine if this is true or not. Did you know that on average someone who completes college makes more money over their lifetime than someone who only completed high school? Really, sounds like someone who doesn’t want to go to college wanted to find a reason to skip it but found out wrong. Or, maybe it was a group of parents who wanted to “show” their kids it was a good idea to go to school. Either way, it’s a lameistic. Of course you should make more money if you complete college. You should have more skills and thus should be paid accordingly over your lifetime. Did you know that if you exercise and eat healthy, you can on average, expect to live longer than those who didn’t? That’s a profound statement right there. I would never have guessed.

We hear all of these common sense statements all the time. Why? Are we not capable of common sense and believing it? Have you ever heard of common sense being wrong? I haven’t (well beyond the earth being flat and also being the center of the universe, but you get the idea here). There’s a reason for it. We have been living for a very long time and from generation to generation, knowledge has been passed down. Knowledge about what works and what doesn’t. Knowledge about what is true and what is not. I believe our latest generations are growing up without this knowledge transfer and thus we see an increasing amount of lameistic reporting. People truly do not know these things anymore. They need to be told the answer. They never learned them, they never thought about them, and they just assume until told otherwise. Common sense has become uncommon sense in the words of my dad. I agree with that statement.

Our world has become a “prove it” world. We can no longer accept things as the way they are. We need studies to prove something is the way it is or the way it isn’t. We dive into research and data trying to support what we want to find. Smoking is bad, prove it. Commercial milk has preservatives in it, prove it. I should wear my seat belt, prove it. You get the idea. Without the studies “proving” things, what would the masses have to rely upon? They would have no data or thought process to back up their thinking or assumptions. Well, there isn’t a study showing one way or the other so I don’t know, what does the majority think? Time for another study! We need to bring back common sense and it starts within the family. Teach your kids how to use their own mind to think. Don’t depend on the school system to do it for you. Pass the knowledge you have onto your children, don’t assume they will learn on their own. Ever hear the saying we are destined to repeat our mistakes? Without common sense, that will forever be true.