Trust and Reliability
Since the year 2010, October 20th has been declared as the World Statistics Day and is globally celebrated after every five years for essentially two purposes. Firstly, to acknowledge the fact that in order for us to come up with impactful progressive policies we require thoroughly researched and reliable data which plays a pivotal part in determining the pace of progress as well as the effectiveness of formulated policies. Secondly, to honor all those worthy men and women who spend their time and energy in researching, gathering evidences, creating as reliable indicators of problems and progress as they can, and finally in ensuring that the gathered funds are truly invested into serving the cause of humanity. Consequently, the day is a perfect opportunity to reflect upon the significance of trust and reliability in our daily individual as well as societal lives.
Well researched, empirical data has indeed become a key element in inspiring political and social institutions as well as individual philanthropists to contribute to various humanitarian missions. As a result, empirical findings are not only the foundation of effective policies but are also an expression of people’s dedication to solving humanity’s problems. Whether it is poverty or plague, hunger and malnutrition or a Holocaust of medical diseases and the subsequent awareness campaigns, everything is precisely but delicately structured upon the truths determined by researchers and statisticians. However, it should also be acknowledged that it also suggests a subtle but certain change throughout the world in terms of faith in people’s honesty and goodwill.
If you think about it, in ancient times the word of honor of any person with a reputable character would suffice for everyone. In matters concerning donations, charities or any other kind of financial and physical service, he/she would undertake the responsibility of the validity of the issue being resolved and the reliability of the person being aided. So that as far as actions regarding social welfare were concerned, they were not only mere efforts for a societal well-being but qualified as symbols of a person’s moral authority. Today instead of limiting statistical data as a refining tool to ensure the optimum effect of our projects for humanity’s well-being, there are those of us who treat the statistical knowledge of a person about any issue as a means to verify their truth and reliability.
Do you not think that this general loss of trust and reliability is yet another issue which has poisoned our moral fibre and needs to be thus addressed? Would it not be a great service to humanity, if we begin to take steps to ensure the moral growth of our societies? We truly require an intensive and an extensive research to come up with a solution for this general trust deficit throughout our global society.
In essence dear reader, the use of empirical data and statistics should be diversely and extensively employed to study, sustain and complete our projects. They should not however, be understood as lens to verify a person’s moral authority. We need to create a culture of trust and honesty wherein each and every one of us is bound by our own personal integrity to be truthful and sincere in all matters of our lives. So, let us do all that we can to revive the meaning of what now seems to be a forgotten word… honor! Let us have some faith in humanity’s goodness and honesty! Let us not belittle our own ability to believe anything beyond the physical and numerical evidence of numbers and statistics!