Numbers Used To Manipulate, Lie and Insult Us -

Tweet

I have just seen an advert on television. The advert was for a credit card - The card was issued by a bank and they were offering an amazing offer. The offer was a 1% cashback deal on any credit card purchase - AMAZING!! I will keep it as dollars because more people will understand that 1% cash back would mean $1 for every $100 spent or $10 for every $1000... Doesn't really look attractive when you actually think about it. All through every day life numbers and figures are used to manipulate us. 2005 figures show that in the UK you have a 1 in 23 chance of dying of Lung Cancer, that is a 4% chance of dying from Lung Cancer. Now if you are a smoker you increase your chance of dying from Lung cancer by a massive 90% - That sounds shocking 90% chance of dying from Lung Cancer! Not strictly true. You increase your odds by 90%. Your original odds of dying from Lung cancer was 4% - Increase that by 90% and that is still only just shy of 8% chance of Lung Cancer. Is that really a high number? Or a high risk. Looking at it another way Smokers increase their chance of dying by 90%..... We all have a 100% likelihood that we are going to die - an extra 90% makes no difference. Do you remember the 500% mortgages that are said to start the Global recession 500%!! Sounds shocking My first mortgage was Five times my yearly wage - That is 500% - It was a common figure 20 years ago. Use the figure 500% and then don't explain what you mean makes it sound far worse than it really is. Just for fun In the UK, you have a 14million to 1 chance of winning the lottery Have a look what is likely to happen to you before you win the lottery [b]Hang Gliding death 1 in 560 Boxing 1 in 2200 Swimming 1 in 1 million Dancing 1 in 100 000 Becoming US president 1 in 10 million (US Only)[/b]