--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When human beings are involved…" description: "\"“When human beings are involved, statistics become a frightful game that I cannot play. People have said to me: 'But what are a few dozen casualties co..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e3/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry-174_data_when-human-beings-are-involved-statistic_3199098.png" --- # When human beings are involved, statistics become a… ![“When human beings are involved, statistics become a frightful game that I cannot play. People have said to me: 'But what are a few dozen casualties compared to the whole population?' 'Does it matter that a few churches have burned down since the city has survived?' These measurements I reject. The…” quote by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e3/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry-174_data_when-human-beings-are-involved-statistic_3199098.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e3/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry-174_data_when-human-beings-are-involved-statistic_3199098.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e3/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry-174_data_when-human-beings-are-involved-statistic_3199098.png) > ““When human beings are involved, statistics become a frightful game that I cannot play. People have said to me: 'But what are a few dozen casualties compared to the whole population?' 'Does it matter that a few churches have burned down since the city has survived?' These measurements I reject. The kingdom of man is not to be surveyed in this way.”” [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He argues that human life cannot be reduced to statistics; moral value resists quantification. **In simple terms:** Human worth isn’t measurable. Key Takeaway Respect human dignity over numbers. Themes ethics humanity statistics Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - war reporting - policy making - humanitarian aid - public health decisions Key Concepts moral philosophy value theory Questions to Reflect On - How do we balance data with compassion? - When is quantification unavoidable? A Different Perspective Statistical analysis can still guide decisions when used responsibly. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Casualties Compared](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/casualties-compared-5932016/) [Compared Population](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compared-population-5932017/) [Data](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/data/) [Man Surveyed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-surveyed-5932018/) [People Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-said/) [Statistics Frightful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/statistics-frightful-5932015/) ## Related quotes > [“I remember this country back when I was growing up. We went to church, we ate family suppers around the table, and it would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tana-french/i-remember-this-country-back-when-i-was-growing-up-we-went-to-church/) [Tana French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tana-french/) > [“It was the same with how people said committed suicide. 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