--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My interest is not data, it's the world…" description: "\"My interest is not data, it's the world. And part of world development you can see in numbers. Others, like human rights, empowerment of women, it's ve..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ce/hans-rosling-13290_data_my-interest-is-not-data-it-s-the-world-a_2667392.jpg" --- # My interest is not data, it's the world. And part of world… ![“My interest is not data, it's the world. And part of world development you can see in numbers. Others, like human rights, empowerment of women, it's very difficult to measure in numbers.” quote by Hans Rosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ce/hans-rosling-13290_data_my-interest-is-not-data-it-s-the-world-a_2667392.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ce/hans-rosling-13290_data_my-interest-is-not-data-it-s-the-world-a_2667392.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ce/hans-rosling-13290_data_my-interest-is-not-data-it-s-the-world-a_2667392.jpg) > “My interest is not data, it's the world. And part of world development you can see in numbers. Others, like human rights, empowerment of women, it's very difficult to measure in numbers.” [Hans Rosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-rosling/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Data tells part of the story; human‑rights and empowerment are hard to quantify. **In simple terms:** Numbers show some things, not all. Key Takeaway Combine data with qualitative insight. Themes development data human rights Mood analytical thoughtful Type educational critical When to use this quote - NGO reporting - social research - advocacy strategies Key Concepts measurement challenges policy making Questions to Reflect On - How can we measure empowerment? - What balances data and narrative? A Different Perspective Overreliance on data can ignore nuance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Data](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/data/) [Empowerment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empowerment/) [Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human/) [Human rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-rights/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“Rights and empowerment are interconnected: unless a substantial number of women in a community come to believe that they have rights and demand to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahnaz-afkhami/rights-and-empowerment-are-interconnected-unless-a-substantial-number/) [Mahnaz Afkhami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahnaz-afkhami/) > [With what sovereignty we have retained, we choose to decide for ourselves our needs in accordance with our values, exerting our rights of empowerment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-peltier/with-what-sovereignty-we-have-retained-we-choose-to-decide-for/) [Leonard Peltier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-peltier/) > [The World Development Movement, to take just one example, is doing good work. Some political parties are, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-george/the-world-development-movement-to-take-just-one-example-is-doing-good/) [Susan George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-george/) > [Everyone talks about how much data's in the world. Except, actually, 80% of it is pretty blind to computers. I mean, it can store…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginni-rometty/everyone-talks-about-how-much-data-s-in-the-world-except-actually-80/) [Ginni Rometty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginni-rometty/) > [The myth of the first world is that development is wealth and technology progress. It is all rubbish. It means that you are no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-tei-yamashita/the-myth-of-the-first-world-is-that-development-is-wealth-and/) [Karen Tei Yamashita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-tei-yamashita/) > [The Internet is just a bunch of servers and broadband cables and routers that traffic data around the world. But I think now the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ostrow/the-internet-is-just-a-bunch-of-servers-and-broadband-cables-and/) [Adam Ostrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-ostrow/) > [Two Things that measure Righteousness: The Way You Manage when You Have Nothing & Way You Behave when You Have Everything!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sultan/two-things-that-measure-righteousness-the-way-you-manage-when-you/) [Sultan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sultan/) > [But tending machinery was one thing; defining what we were trying to do and why we were doing it, and developing ways to measure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-richardson/but-tending-machinery-was-one-thing-defining-what-we-were-trying-to/) [Elliot Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-richardson/) > [“Never measure the height of a mountain, until you have reached the top. Then you will see how low it was." Dag Hammarskj’ld”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/change-your-life-publishing/never-measure-the-height-of-a-mountain-until-you-have-reached-the-top/) [Change Your Life Publishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/change-your-life-publishing/) > [“No test can measure anything important.   On”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/no-test-can-measure-anything-important-on/) [Naomi Shihab Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-shihab-nye/) > [British Forces should be in a position to give back in a ten fold measure any attack that the Germans may attempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-banting/british-forces-should-be-in-a-position-to-give-back-in-a-ten-fold/) [Frederick Banting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-banting/) > [Success will not be yours unless you measure your dream. And guess what? Once you have measured it, people will say it's too big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francisco-leon/success-will-not-be-yours-unless-you-measure-your-dream-and-guess/) [Francisco Leon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francisco-leon/) > [“If it is not measurable it is not manageable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-clark/if-it-is-not-measurable-it-is-not-manageable/) [Clay Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-clark/) > [From these inconsiderable attempts, some idea may be formed with what success, should Fortune afford an opportunity, I am likely to treat matters of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giraldus-cambrensis/from-these-inconsiderable-attempts-some-idea-may-be-formed-with-what/) [Giraldus Cambrensis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giraldus-cambrensis/) > [Unmarried couples should get married - that's an excellent tax avoidance measure, if a bit drastic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-whiting/unmarried-couples-should-get-married-that-s-an-excellent-tax/) John Whiting ## More by Hans Rosling > [There's still racism. Western Europe... has taken the native cultures of the Americas, the African cultures, the Asian civilization and lumped them together into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-rosling/there-s-still-racism-western-europe-has-taken-the-native-cultures-of/) [Hans Rosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-rosling/) > [The shining star in the world is Shanghai. That's what CEOs from big companies say - 'if I want mathematical analytical work done, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-rosling/the-shining-star-in-the-world-is-shanghai-that-s-what-ceos-from-big/) [Hans Rosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-rosling/) > [It seems the public in Europe has not yet learnt that most girls in India today go to school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-rosling/it-seems-the-public-in-europe-has-not-yet-learnt-that-most-girls-in/) [Hans Rosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-rosling/) > [I am not an optimist. I'm a very serious possibilist. It's a new category where we take emotion apart and we just work analytically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-rosling/i-am-not-an-optimist-i-m-a-very-serious-possibilist-it-s-a-new/) [Hans Rosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-rosling/) > [We have great international experts within India telling us that the climate is changing, and actions has to be taken, otherwise China and India…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-rosling/we-have-great-international-experts-within-india-telling-us-that-the/) [Hans Rosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-rosling/) > [Thank you industrialization. Thank you steel mill. Thank you power station. And thank you chemical processing industry that gave us time to read books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-rosling/thank-you-industrialization-thank-you-steel-mill-thank-you-power/) [Hans Rosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-rosling/) > [What I'm really worried about is war. Will the former rich countries really accept a completely changed world economy, and a shift of power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-rosling/what-i-m-really-worried-about-is-war-will-the-former-rich-countries/) [Hans Rosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-rosling/) > [Good analysis is very useful when you want to convert a political decision into an investment. It can also go the other way and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-rosling/good-analysis-is-very-useful-when-you-want-to-convert-a-political/) [Hans Rosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-rosling/) > [Eighteen fifty-eight was a year of great technological advancement in the West. That was the year when Queen Victoria was able, for the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-rosling/eighteen-fifty-eight-was-a-year-of-great-technological-advancement-in/) [Hans Rosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-rosling/) > [Half of the energy is used by one seventh of the world's population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-rosling/half-of-the-energy-is-used-by-one-seventh-of-the-world-s-population/) [Hans Rosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-rosling/) > [Fame is easy to acquire; impact is much more difficult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-rosling/fame-is-easy-to-acquire-impact-is-much-more-difficult/) [Hans Rosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-rosling/) > [We must obviously be much more clever in using resources, regulate with tax and promote innovations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-rosling/we-must-obviously-be-much-more-clever-in-using-resources-regulate/) [Hans Rosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-rosling/) > [There is still a severe and scary amount of extreme poverty in rural parts of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Burma and sub-Saharan Africa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-rosling/there-is-still-a-severe-and-scary-amount-of-extreme-poverty-in-rural/) [Hans Rosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-rosling/) > [Most people are not updated. 50 years ago 1 in 5 children died before age 5, now only 1 in 20!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-rosling/most-people-are-not-updated-50-years-ago-1-in-5-children-died-before/) [Hans Rosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-rosling/) > [I have shown that Swedish top students know statistically significantly less about the world than the chimpanzees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-rosling/i-have-shown-that-swedish-top-students-know-statistically/) [Hans Rosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-rosling/) [Explore all 51 Hans Rosling quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-rosling/) ## More Data quotes > [Information is money, but data is squat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-llama-butler/information-is-money-but-data-is-squat/) Angela Llama-Butler > [“ data analytics consulting Perceptive Analtyics is a data analytic company and a trusted advisor to its clients across domains. Click to know more”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastianmax/data-analytics-consulting-perceptive-analtyics-is-a-data-analytic/) SebastianMax > [The information nation took their clues from all the sound bite gluttons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rem/the-information-nation-took-their-clues-from-all-the-sound-bite/) [REM](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rem/) > [Sometimes I am a collector of data, and only a collector, and am likely to be gross and miserly, piling up notes, pleased with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-fort/sometimes-i-am-a-collector-of-data-and-only-a-collector-and-am-likely/) [Charles Fort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-fort/) > [But actually theory is very practical. Gravity is a theory, for example. It allows you to predict that if you step off a cliff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/but-actually-theory-is-very-practical-gravity-is-a-theory-for-example/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [Statistics are like miniskirts: They give you good ideas but hide the important things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ebbe-skovdahl/statistics-are-like-miniskirts-they-give-you-good-ideas-but-hide-the/) Ebbe Skovdahl > [Unlike return, however, risk is no more quantifiable at the end of an investment that it was at its beginning. Risk simply cannot be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-klarman/unlike-return-however-risk-is-no-more-quantifiable-at-the-end-of-an/) [Seth Klarman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-klarman/) > [Finding patterns is easy in any kind of data-rich environment; that's what mediocre gamblers do. The key is in determining whether the patterns represent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-silver/finding-patterns-is-easy-in-any-kind-of-data-rich-environment-that-s/) [Nate Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-silver/) > [ \[Brazil\] went to the UN and said, "We need new standards for this." We need to take a look at what they're calling "data… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/brazil-went-to-the-un-and-said-we-need-new-standards-for-this-we-need/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [We're living in a technological world. You cannot tell me we can't do a better job getting that information.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/we-re-living-in-a-technological-world-you-cannot-tell-me-we-can-t-do/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Web users ultimately want to get at data quickly and easily. They don't care as much about attractive sites and pretty design.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-berners-lee/web-users-ultimately-want-to-get-at-data-quickly-and-easily-they-don/) [Tim Berners-Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-berners-lee/) > [You cannot have 300-some million Americans - and really, right, the global citizenry be at risk of having their phone conversations intercepted with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/you-cannot-have-300-some-million-americans-and-really-right-the/) [Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/) > [An important finding is that by determining the genome sequences of an entire family, one can identify many DNA sequencing errors and thus greatly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-hood/an-important-finding-is-that-by-determining-the-genome-sequences-of/) [Leroy Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-hood/) > [While it's wonderful that investors have access to all the data now available to them, it has become a full-time job to sift through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-bartiromo/while-it-s-wonderful-that-investors-have-access-to-all-the-data-now/) [Maria Bartiromo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-bartiromo/) > [“The amount of stored information grows four times faster than the world economy, while the processing power of computers grows nine times faster. Little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-mayer-sch-nberger/the-amount-of-stored-information-grows-four-times-faster-than-the/) [Viktor Mayer-Schönberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-mayer-sch-nberger/) [Browse all 3,134 Data quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/data/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My interest is not data, it's the world. And part of world development you can see in numbers. 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