--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Certainly, last year we did an episode…" description: "\"Certainly, last year we did an episode about the census and sampling versus a direct statistic. You just said the word 'census,' and people fall asleep..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e76/aaron-sorkin-2826_census_certainly-last-year-we-did-an-episode-ab_1978253.png" --- # Certainly, last year we did an episode about the census… ![“Certainly, last year we did an episode about the census and sampling versus a direct statistic. You just said the word 'census,' and people fall asleep.” quote by Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e76/aaron-sorkin-2826_census_certainly-last-year-we-did-an-episode-ab_1978253.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e76/aaron-sorkin-2826_census_certainly-last-year-we-did-an-episode-ab_1978253.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e76/aaron-sorkin-2826_census_certainly-last-year-we-did-an-episode-ab_1978253.png) > “Certainly, last year we did an episode about the census and sampling versus a direct statistic. You just said the word 'census,' and people fall asleep.” [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote jokes that mentioning “census” often bores audiences because they see it as dry data rather than a compelling story. **In simple terms:** People find statistics boring unless presented engagingly. Key Takeaway Make data relatable and narrative‑driven. Themes communication statistics engagement Mood wry informative Type humorous observational When to use this quote - presentations - news reports - policy briefings - educational videos Key Concepts storytelling data literacy attention span Questions to Reflect On - How can you turn a dry statistic into a story? - What narrative hooks keep audiences awake? A Different Perspective Complex data can still be dry if not contextualized. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Census](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/census/) [Census People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/census-people-3363069/) [Census Sampling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/census-sampling-3363070/) [Direct](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/direct/) [Episode Census](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/episode-census-3363068/) [Episodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/episodes/) [Fall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fall/) [Last year](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/last-year/) [Lasts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lasts/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Sampling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sampling/) [Versus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/versus/) [Word Census](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/word-census-3363071/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [Sampling, statisticians have told us, is a much more effective way of getting a good census.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-lowe/sampling-statisticians-have-told-us-is-a-much-more-effective-way-of/) [Rob Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-lowe/) > [Music is going to go in some direction that is entirely inconceivable now. If someone had been asked twenty years ago what direction they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-yauch/music-is-going-to-go-in-some-direction-that-is-entirely-inconceivable/) [Adam Yauch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-yauch/) > [In the very beginning, I kind of had this hip-hop, cut-and-paste approach to music. The first record, especially, was from looking at people like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonobo/in-the-very-beginning-i-kind-of-had-this-hip-hop-cut-and-paste/) [Bonobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonobo/) > [“Friendship is a totally biased sample of the population: we only pick out the best ones.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-bello-accioly/friendship-is-a-totally-biased-sample-of-the-population-we-only-pick/) [Victor Bello Accioly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-bello-accioly/) > [I love sampling, and RZA loves sampling, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-younge/i-love-sampling-and-rza-loves-sampling-too/) [Adrian Younge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-younge/) > [People still talk about sampling as this new, progressive problem in music. There are technologies now where you can glean the polyphonic information out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hecker/people-still-talk-about-sampling-as-this-new-progressive-problem-in/) [Tim Hecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hecker/) > [I am very conscious of first sampling the music and then getting it out for fans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/himesh-reshammiya/i-am-very-conscious-of-first-sampling-the-music-and-then-getting-it/) [Himesh Reshammiya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/himesh-reshammiya/) > [I've wanted to do it for years, but every attempt at it has turned into another tune. We have actually taken a different approach,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-banks/i-ve-wanted-to-do-it-for-years-but-every-attempt-at-it-has-turned/) [Peter Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-banks/) > [I've mainly been sampling jazz because the tone of the chords are expressive in itself, so it's quite nice to write over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/king-krule/i-ve-mainly-been-sampling-jazz-because-the-tone-of-the-chords-are/) [King Krule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/king-krule/) > [I had a little more freedom when I started sampling because you could actually do what you wanted to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rakim/i-had-a-little-more-freedom-when-i-started-sampling-because-you-could/) [Rakim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rakim/) > [Sampling is kind of prehistoric, given the technology and the textures you can create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/macklemore/sampling-is-kind-of-prehistoric-given-the-technology-and-the-textures/) [Macklemore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/macklemore/) > [As I do with most films, I try and find some music that you could use throughout, not just a sampling of lots of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-van-sant/as-i-do-with-most-films-i-try-and-find-some-music-that-you-could-use/) [Gus Van Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-van-sant/) > [I was listening to a lot of hip hop, music like Public Enemy that was about raising consciousness, and I realised I could feed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-ofili/i-was-listening-to-a-lot-of-hip-hop-music-like-public-enemy-that-was/) [Chris Ofili](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-ofili/) > [The purely random sample is the only kind that can be examined with confidence by means of statistical theory, but there is one things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darrell-huff/the-purely-random-sample-is-the-only-kind-that-can-be-examined-with/) [Darrell Huff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darrell-huff/) > [I am ultimately comfortable with what I'm sampling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/girl-talk/i-am-ultimately-comfortable-with-what-i-m-sampling/) [Girl Talk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/girl-talk/) ## More by Aaron Sorkin > [Conflict, when used as a device, makes for good television and bad journalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/conflict-when-used-as-a-device-makes-for-good-television-and-bad/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [Film doesn't have to worry. Movies are awesome. There's no war going on, theaters aren't going to lose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/film-doesn-t-have-to-worry-movies-are-awesome-there-s-no-war-going-on/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [People don't live their lives in a series of scenes that form a dramatic narrative, they don't speak in dialogue, they're not lit by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/people-don-t-live-their-lives-in-a-series-of-scenes-that-form-a/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [One of the biggest challenges in the past for me in working on the networks was that audiences have grown accustomed to television being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/one-of-the-biggest-challenges-in-the-past-for-me-in-working-on-the/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [You're going to fall down, but the world doesn't care how many times you fall down, as long as it's one fewer than the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/you-re-going-to-fall-down-but-the-world-doesn-t-care-how-many-times/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [We live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/we-live-in-a-world-that-has-walls-and-those-walls-have-to-be-guarded/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [As an audience member, I like the sound of something that's been written - I like it to sound written. And then, of course,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/as-an-audience-member-i-like-the-sound-of-something-that-s-been/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [She's a person; the doctor pronounces her dead, not the news.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/she-s-a-person-the-doctor-pronounces-her-dead-not-the-news/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [It's nice that HBO is in business with the audience and not with the advertisers. There's a difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/it-s-nice-that-hbo-is-in-business-with-the-audience-and-not-with-the/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [“TOBY: The world can move or not by changing some words.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/toby-the-world-can-move-or-not-by-changing-some-words/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [I had never thought of doing television. But my agent wanted me to meet John Wells, who had had a lot of success producing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/i-had-never-thought-of-doing-television-but-my-agent-wanted-me-to/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [Government should be a place where people can come together, and no one gets left behind. No one…gets left behind. An instrument of good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/government-should-be-a-place-where-people-can-come-together-and-no/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [Television from its inception had the number one goal to alienate as few people as possible. That's why if you look at 1950s, 1960s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/television-from-its-inception-had-the-number-one-goal-to-alienate-as/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [Josh: So, Toby, it’s election night. What do you say about a country that goes out of its way to protect even those citizens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/josh-so-toby-it-s-election-night-what-do-you-say-about-a-country-that/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [The hardest thing for me is getting started. If I'm writing a script, really 90 per cent of it would be just walking around,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/the-hardest-thing-for-me-is-getting-started-if-i-m-writing-a-script/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) [Explore all 148 Aaron Sorkin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) ## More Census quotes > [...the number of saintly men has not yet risen to the level where the census makes them a separate statistical category.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stigler/the-number-of-saintly-men-has-not-yet-risen-to-the-level-where-the/) [George Stigler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stigler/) > [There are two economic realities in America in 2016. There's been a record six straight years of job growth, and new census numbers show…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-holt/there-are-two-economic-realities-in-america-in-2016-there-s-been-a/) [Lester Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-holt/) > [One thing that's really interesting is not only the magnitude of the recent immigration into this country, but also its distribution and its investment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-prewitt/one-thing-that-s-really-interesting-is-not-only-the-magnitude-of-the/) [Kenneth Prewitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-prewitt/) > [If Congress sees fit to impose a capitation, or other direct tax, it must be laid in proportion to the census; if Congress determines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salmon-p-chase/if-congress-sees-fit-to-impose-a-capitation-or-other-direct-tax-it/) [Salmon P. Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salmon-p-chase/) > [As we search for change and seek for our voices to be heard, completing the census will help get us the resources we need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mccourty/as-we-search-for-change-and-seek-for-our-voices-to-be-heard/) [Jason McCourty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mccourty/) > [I don't think the government is out to get me or help someone else get me but it wouldn't surprise me if they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-rooney/i-don-t-think-the-government-is-out-to-get-me-or-help-someone-else/) [Andy Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-rooney/) > [“According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a family is defined as two or more people living together who are related by birth, marriage or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/according-to-the-u-s-census-bureau-a-family-is-defined-as-two-or-more/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [The Census Bureau is thinking of creating a new category because so many kids don't know how to describe themselves using the existing categories.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/the-census-bureau-is-thinking-of-creating-a-new-category-because-so/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [People resist a census, but give them a profile page and they'll spend all day telling you who they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-barry/people-resist-a-census-but-give-them-a-profile-page-and-they-ll-spend/) [Max Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-barry/) > [Money nowadays is money; money brings office; money gains friends; everywhere the poor man is down. \[Lat., In pretio pretium nunc est; dat census…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/money-nowadays-is-money-money-brings-office-money-gains-friends/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [According to the National Crime Survey administered by the Bureau of the Census and the National Institute of Justice, it was found that only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-kleck/according-to-the-national-crime-survey-administered-by-the-bureau-of/) [Gary Kleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-kleck/) > [“Are you going to count me on the census form?” “Sure. Ghost squatter, quantity of one. Sex male, race Caucasian, age dead. That’ll really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chessela-helm/are-you-going-to-count-me-on-the-census-form-sure-ghost-squatter/) [Chessela Helm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chessela-helm/) > [According to the U.S. Census, the most common reason people give for not voting is that they were too busy or had conflicting work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-miller/according-to-the-u-s-census-the-most-common-reason-people-give-for/) [Jeff Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-miller/) > [There are some who complain that there is not enough food grain. But I put the argument that at the moment we use 2000…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-v-thomas/there-are-some-who-complain-that-there-is-not-enough-food-grain-but-i/) [K. V. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-v-thomas/) > [Conservatives need to know how important it is to fill out the census. It is one of the only things our Constitution specifically asks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-mchenry/conservatives-need-to-know-how-important-it-is-to-fill-out-the-census/) [Patrick McHenry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-mchenry/) [Browse all 82 Census quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/census/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Certainly, last year we did an episode about the census and sampling versus a direct statistic. You just said the word 'census,' and people fall asleep.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Aaron Sorkin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/certainly-last-year-we-did-an-episode-about-the-census-and-sampling/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Census" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/certainly-last-year-we-did-an-episode-about-the-census-and-sampling/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e76/aaron-sorkin-2826_census_certainly-last-year-we-did-an-episode-ab_1978253.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e76/aaron-sorkin-2826_census_certainly-last-year-we-did-an-episode-ab_1978253.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e76/aaron-sorkin-2826_census_certainly-last-year-we-did-an-episode-ab_1978253.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Certainly, last year we did an episode about the census and sampling versus a direct statistic. You just…” — Aaron Sorkin", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Aaron Sorkin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Certainly, last year we did an...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/certainly-last-year-we-did-an-episode-about-the-census-and-sampling/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/certainly-last-year-we-did-an-episode-about-the-census-and-sampling/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```