Chapter 5 - Statistics, Trade-Offs, and Society, Close Summary and Analysis

The author examines the social effects of innumeracy and how these effects are harmful to the individual as well as to society as a whole. Paulos states that innumeracy also creates conflict between the individual and society.

There are several examples in which individuals are pitted against society. In essence, one may cooperate on behalf of society or choose not to cooperate on behalf of individualism. One good example is that of two drug traffickers who must make a hurried transaction involving brown paper bags. If each person takes the cooperative route, then each paper bag will be filled with either money or drugs. If one or both chooses to side with individualism, then one or both paper bags could be filled with nothing but shredded paper. Therein lays...