--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Numbers are shifty things. They rarely…" description: "\"“Numbers are shifty things. They rarely tell the whole story.”\" — Jennifer E. Smith" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e34/jennifer-e-smith-1454_quote_numbers-are-shifty-things-they-rarely-te_1118881.jpg" --- # Numbers are shifty things. They rarely tell the whole story. ![“Numbers are shifty things. They rarely tell the whole story.” quote by Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e34/jennifer-e-smith-1454_quote_numbers-are-shifty-things-they-rarely-te_1118881.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e34/jennifer-e-smith-1454_quote_numbers-are-shifty-things-they-rarely-te_1118881.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e34/jennifer-e-smith-1454_quote_numbers-are-shifty-things-they-rarely-te_1118881.jpg) > ““Numbers are shifty things. They rarely tell the whole story.”” [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Numbers often omit context, leading to misleading conclusions if taken at face value. **In simple terms:** Numbers can be deceptive. Key Takeaway Seek full context beyond figures. Themes data interpretation truth Mood analytical cautious Type educational philosophical When to use this quote - business analysis - journalism - research Key Concepts statistics critical thinking communication Questions to Reflect On - What stories do numbers hide? - How can you verify data accuracy? A Different Perspective Overreliance on numbers may ignore human factors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [We can rarely tell others what we really think about them--not just because it would so wound them, but also because it would so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-kennedy/we-can-rarely-tell-others-what-we-really-think-about-them-not-just/) [Douglas Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-kennedy/) > [People who excel at something can rarely tell you how to do something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-hunt/people-who-excel-at-something-can-rarely-tell-you-how-to-do-something/) [Johnny Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-hunt/) > [I rarely tell anybody what they should be doing with their life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/i-rarely-tell-anybody-what-they-should-be-doing-with-their-life/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [“Things, however, rarely happened the way you understood them. Mostly they just sort of drove up alongside what you thought was the case and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/things-however-rarely-happened-the-way-you-understood-them-mostly/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [Substantial progress toward better things can rarely be taken without developing new evils requiring new remedies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-howard-taft/substantial-progress-toward-better-things-can-rarely-be-taken-without/) [William Howard Taft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-howard-taft/) > [“things rarely happen the way you expect them to. But that doesn’t mean they don’t happen the way they are supposed to.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-fox/things-rarely-happen-the-way-you-expect-them-to-but-that-doesn-t-mean/) [Ella Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-fox/) > [One of the things I rarely do is write about sex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-chaon/one-of-the-things-i-rarely-do-is-write-about-sex/) [Dan Chaon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-chaon/) > [Things are rarely as exciting or dramatic as we make them out to be in the press.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/things-are-rarely-as-exciting-or-dramatic-as-we-make-them-out-to-be/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [“Things are rarely as random as they appear”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-banks/things-are-rarely-as-random-as-they-appear/) [Maya Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-banks/) > [“Divisiveness leads to a lot of things. Rarely are any of them good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/divisiveness-leads-to-a-lot-of-things-rarely-are-any-of-them-good/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [Things rarely happen for a single reason. Even the cleverest and most skilled manipulators recognize that their real art lies in making use of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/things-rarely-happen-for-a-single-reason-even-the-cleverest-and-most/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) > [Things rarely get fixed the way they need to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/things-rarely-get-fixed-the-way-they-need-to-be/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“But it was not so complicated really. Such things rarely are. It was a simple case of stars aligning; those that didn't being nudged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-morton/but-it-was-not-so-complicated-really-such-things-rarely-are-it-was-a/) [Kate Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-morton/) > [My experiences have taught me that things rarely improve with a simple change of scenery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pittacus-lore/my-experiences-have-taught-me-that-things-rarely-improve-with-a/) [Pittacus Lore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pittacus-lore/) > [Things are rarely just crazy enough to work, but they're frequently just crazy enough to fail hilariously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-munroe/things-are-rarely-just-crazy-enough-to-work-but-they-re-frequently/) [Randall Munroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-munroe/) ## More by Jennifer E. Smith > [“He'd come back to her, it was true. He was the one to walk out of the woods and onto the beach, to cross…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/he-d-come-back-to-her-it-was-true-he-was-the-one-to-walk-out-of-the/) [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) > [“That's the thing about flying: You could talk to someone for hours and never even know his name, share your deepest secrets and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/that-s-the-thing-about-flying-you-could-talk-to-someone-for-hours-and/) [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) > [“Now Hadley presses her forehead against the window of the taxi and once again finds herself smiling at the thought of him. He's like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/now-hadley-presses-her-forehead-against-the-window-of-the-taxi-and/) [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) > [“He's looking at her like she's the answer to some sort of riddle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/he-s-looking-at-her-like-she-s-the-answer-to-some-sort-of-riddle/) [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) > [“Well," he begins, sitting up a bit taller, "I was being quite gallant, actually, and offered to help with her suitcase. And then we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/well-he-begins-sitting-up-a-bit-taller-i-was-being-quite-gallant/) [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) > [“The only time it doesn't help to imagine the sky is when you're thirty thousand feet in the air with nowhere to go but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/the-only-time-it-doesn-t-help-to-imagine-the-sky-is-when-you-re/) [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) > [“Emma knew that she'd always been on the wrong side of the line that separated her from her parents, from Patrick and Annie and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/emma-knew-that-she-d-always-been-on-the-wrong-side-of-the-line-that/) [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) > [“Hadley knows this isn’t some Disney movie. Her parents aren’t ever getting back together”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/hadley-knows-this-isn-t-some-disney-movie-her-parents-aren-t-ever/) [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) > [“If you were to draw a map of the two of them, of where they started out and where they would both end up,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/if-you-were-to-draw-a-map-of-the-two-of-them-of-where-they-started/) [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) > [“She wishes that it were true, all of it. That it were more than just a story. That is was their story.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/she-wishes-that-it-were-true-all-of-it-that-it-were-more-than-just-a/) [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) > [“There's a formula for how long it takes to get over someone, that it's half as long as the time you've been together.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/there-s-a-formula-for-how-long-it-takes-to-get-over-someone-that-it-s/) [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) > [“True," he says. "But I'm able to supplement it with my wealth of British intelligence and charm." "Right," Hadley says. "Charm. When do I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/true-he-says-but-i-m-able-to-supplement-it-with-my-wealth-of-british/) [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) > [“You can't know the answer until you ask the question.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/you-can-t-know-the-answer-until-you-ask-the-question/) [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) > [“Chemistry wasn't something you could just create anyway; it was either there or it wasn't.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/chemistry-wasn-t-something-you-could-just-create-anyway-it-was-either/) [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) > [“Cheerfulness and contentment are great beautifiers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/cheerfulness-and-contentment-are-great-beautifiers/) [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) [Explore all 230 Jennifer E. Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) ## More Numbers quotes > [Leo, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Eden. Every year, you look at their numbers - score goals, assists, minutes - to see they play very well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro/leo-cristiano-ronaldo-neymar-eden-every-year-you-look-at-their/) [Pedro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro/) > [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. It's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/public-infrastructure-around-the-world-is-facing-unprecedented-stress/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [The number of ways you can live in one lifetime is limitless. So why limit yourself? The sky is not the limit. Beyond the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/the-number-of-ways-you-can-live-in-one-lifetime-is-limitless-so-why/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [A real Christian in an odd number anyway. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-real-christian-in-an-odd-number-anyway-he-feels-supreme-love-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It must be assumed and established as a principle, that the right of private property must be regarded as sacred. Wherefore, the law ought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-xiii/it-must-be-assumed-and-established-as-a-principle-that-the-right-of/) [Pope Leo XIII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-xiii/) > [The creator of the universe works in mysterious ways. But he uses a base ten counting system and likes round numbers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/the-creator-of-the-universe-works-in-mysterious-ways-but-he-uses-a/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [I've never believed unemployment numbers because the way that they calculate unemployment makes no sense whatsoever. It's not how many people are unemployed. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/i-ve-never-believed-unemployment-numbers-because-the-way-that-they/) [Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/) > [We're going to create factory jobs for recent immigrants, and Donald Trump is going to take care of them. That's why his numbers, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sessions/we-re-going-to-create-factory-jobs-for-recent-immigrants-and-donald/) [Jeff Sessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sessions/) > [Perhaps the most important reason to be skeptical of government inflation numbers is that the government, like a fox campaigning to guard a hen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/perhaps-the-most-important-reason-to-be-skeptical-of-government/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [Act always so as to increase the number of choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-von-foerster/act-always-so-as-to-increase-the-number-of-choices/) [Heinz von Foerster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-von-foerster/) > [Rule number something or other -- never tell anybody anything unless you're going to get something better in return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-paretsky/rule-number-something-or-other-never-tell-anybody-anything-unless-you/) [Sara Paretsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-paretsky/) > [But the effect of her being on those around her was incalculably diffusive: for the growing good of the world is partly dependent on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/but-the-effect-of-her-being-on-those-around-her-was-incalculably/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [“Belief in the Law of Small Numbers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/belief-in-the-law-of-small-numbers/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [The number of poor, and poorly prepared, students who succeed in college and beyond undercuts the simplistic notion that economic or educational disadvantage is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-merullo/the-number-of-poor-and-poorly-prepared-students-who-succeed-in/) [Roland Merullo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-merullo/) > [There are a number of qualities which are important for mental peace, but from the little experience I have, I believe that one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/there-are-a-number-of-qualities-which-are-important-for-mental-peace/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) Browse all 7,672 Numbers quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Numbers are shifty things. They rarely tell the whole story.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jennifer E. Smith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/numbers-are-shifty-things-they-rarely-tell-the-whole-story/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Numbers" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/numbers-are-shifty-things-they-rarely-tell-the-whole-story/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e34/jennifer-e-smith-1454_quote_numbers-are-shifty-things-they-rarely-te_1118881.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e34/jennifer-e-smith-1454_quote_numbers-are-shifty-things-they-rarely-te_1118881.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e34/jennifer-e-smith-1454_quote_numbers-are-shifty-things-they-rarely-te_1118881.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Numbers are shifty things. They rarely tell the whole story.” — Jennifer E. Smith", "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": "Jennifer E. Smith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Numbers are shifty things. They rarely...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/numbers-are-shifty-things-they-rarely-tell-the-whole-story/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/numbers-are-shifty-things-they-rarely-tell-the-whole-story/#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 } } ] } ```