Zombie stats are coming for your readers
When readers get dizzy trying to make sense of the world, hard numbers offer a steadying hand. Unfortunately, many frequently repeated statistics aren’t what they seem to be. Recognize any of these numbers?
- We use only 10% of our brains.?
- Single women over the age of 40 are more likely to be killed by a terrorist than to get married.
- It takes seven years to digest chewing gum.
These numbers?sound?great. But they’re zombie statistics: unfounded or outdated claims that just won’t die. Zombie stats are everywhere, and they walk among us mostly unnoticed—but a sharp reader who spots them in your work will immediately discount everything you say.??
We make it a practice to track down primary sources for any factual claims in our work. Sometimes that exercise requires extra persistence. Take the case of our writer Pete, who wanted to use the often-cited claim that 70% of widows switch financial advisors after the death of their spouse. Piece after piece repeated the same number, each sourcing a previous piece of content. He doggedly traced the figure to a book in which the author described hearing it during a presentation, then tracked down the presenter—who was shocked that anyone construed the 70% number from what they said.??
This stat still walks the content world. That’s the thing about zombie statistics: You can’t kill them, but you can save your readers from them. And as a writer, looking out for readers is your job.?