Facts Quote by Keith Devlin
![“In fact, we tend to think things have been getting much worse. In fact, over the last 50 years, almost everything in the world on a global scale has got better. And the way that Hans [ Rosling] did this - it was very good.” quote by Keith Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/473/keith-devlin-19829_facts_in-fact-we-tend-to-think-things-have-bee_1076728.jpg)
“In fact, we tend to think things have been getting much worse. In fact, over the last 50 years, almost everything in the world on a global scale has got better. And the way that Hans [ Rosling] did this - it was very good.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Data Literacy Talk, 2019
The speaker argues that despite a perception of decline, global indicators show improvement over the past half‑century, highlighting the importance of data‑driven optimism.
In simple terms: World has improved, data shows it.
Key Takeaway
Trust data, stay optimistic.
Themes
progress
data perception
optimism
global trends
perception
Mood
analytical
optimistic
educational
Type
informative
inspirational
critical
When to use this quote
- policy making
- educational curricula
- media reporting
- personal worldview formation
Key Concepts
statistics
development economics
public understanding of science
Questions to Reflect On
- Which metrics best reflect genuine progress?
- How can we avoid data bias in assessing trends?
A Different Perspective
Data can be misinterpreted or selectively presented, leading to false optimism.
![“There are some nasty, nasty incidents taking place in the world, but [it's] much better than it used to be.” quote by Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8b0/richard-branson-256_incidents_there-are-some-nasty-nasty-incidents-tak_1720705.jpg)
![“I saw the first one [video with Hans Rosling ] when he did - I think it was his first one - in 2006, a TED Talk. And for the first time in my life, I thought here's someone who can take statistics that most people regard as dull and boring and bring it alive.” quote by Keith Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f8c/keith-devlin-19829_alive_i-saw-the-first-one-video-with-hans-rosl_101875.jpg)
![“Hans Rosling typically would go into the room, and he would ask the audience questions. Often they had to answer them with clickers or raising their hands or something. We get [data] wrong because 50 years ago that wasn't the case and because we haven't had these graphics we don't realize that…” quote by Keith Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/740/keith-devlin-19829_answers_hans-rosling-typically-would-go-into-the_518165.jpg)
![“Some of the justifiable critiques has been by - been so successful in telling this story, you know, there's a danger of saying, oh, well, you know, we don't need to worry about this because that's absolutely not the case. What [Hans] Rosling is doing is showing us an overall global trend, which in…” quote by Keith Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3dd/keith-devlin-19829_bad-thing_some-of-the-justifiable-critiques-has-be_763450.jpg)
![“In fact, when you try to use [Hans Rosling] data to predict the future, all sorts of problems arise. But what it does do is say, hey, just catch your breath a minute and see what's really been going on. We do have reason to feel good about the fact we've made progress.” quote by Keith Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1a8/keith-devlin-19829_arise_in-fact-when-you-try-to-use-hans-rosling_1084549.jpg)
