Doe Quote by Thomas Sowell
“You can always create a fraction by putting one variable upstairs and another variable downstairs, but that soes not establish any causal relationship between them, nor does the resulting quotient have any necessary relationship to anything in the real world.”
About This Quote
Source Book: "Basic Economics", 2000
Mathematical expressions alone do not prove causation; real-world relevance is required.
In simple terms: Equations ≠ causation.
Key Takeaway
Seek evidence beyond formulas.
Themes
economics
causation
methodology
Mood
analytical
skeptical
Type
academic
practical
When to use this quote
- policy analysis
- academic research
- business decisions
Key Concepts
causal inference
real-world application
variables
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we test causal claims?
- When do equations suffice?
A Different Perspective
Numbers can be misleading without context.
![“Now the denominator ... why don't they just call it the bottom number? The denominator ... that sounds like a Schwarzenegger movie doesn't it? [impersonating Arnold Schwarzenegger] I am the Denominator. I'll give your leg a compound fraction!” quote by Tim Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d78/tim-allen-4974_bottom_now-the-denominator-why-don-t-they-just_2651878.jpg)
