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...the number of saintly men has not yet risen to the…

“...the number of saintly men has not yet risen to the level where the census makes them a separate statistical category.” quote by George Stigler
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“...the number of saintly men has not yet risen to the level where the census makes them a separate statistical category.”

George Stigler

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The proportion of genuinely saintly individuals is so small that statistical surveys cannot treat them as a distinct demographic group.

In simple terms: Saintly people are too few for a separate category.

Key Takeaway

Rare virtue resists quantification.

Themes

statistics morality rarity social measurement

Mood

wry analytical

Type

observation satire

When to use this quote

  • public policy design
  • charitable organization profiling
  • sociological research

Key Concepts

measurement limits ethical distribution

Practical Applications

  • focus on qualitative assessment
  • avoid over‑reliance on metrics

Questions to Reflect On

  • How should societies value rare virtue without metrics?
  • What alternatives exist to quantify moral impact?
A Different Perspective

Moral behavior can be context‑dependent, making any count arbitrary.

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