Finally, putting aside the many ways in which statistical results can be manipulated, there are ways in which turning people’s lives into numbers is (d) morally insulating. Statistics on crime, homelessness, or the spread of a disease say nothing of people’s suffering. We read the statistics as reports on events at a distance, thus allowing us to (e) escape without being disturbed. Statistics are human beings with the tears wiped off. Quantify with caution. .