The Numeric Doomcult

Numbers are a myth. Humans invented numbers. We are measurers and catalogers by nature, keeping track of the world and events around us in minute detail. It's important to us to know what might happen, to predict the future as accurately as possible, based on generalized past experience, in order to allay the deep fear of the unknown and of of lack of control that are endemic to the human experience.

When I say numbers are a myth, I mean we have named the numbers and declared their progression from one to the next; we have accepted them as the framework of our reality, given them a sort of power-of-attorney to represent everything for us in our understanding. We fetishize our use of numbers to the point where their use can make us feel better about world once it has been re-envisioned in their terms.

That is not to say there aren't quantities and distances in reality. Obviously there are. For example, if there is a tree in the yard and another tree near it in the same yard, we would say there are two trees in the yard. If there are two trees in the yard, the fact that we invented the concept of "twoness" and all the attendant constructions doesn't mean there are no trees. But the trees don't have twoness, the twoness is a trait assigned to it by us based on our constructed representation of a world where everything has quantity.

On the one hand, our love of numbers helps us allay our fears of the unknown. By measuring the chasm, we seem to believe, we can be less afraid of its gaping dark abyss. On the other hand, it gives us an impartial way to rationalize our own actions. We seem to believe that if we can provide numeric proof of the benefits of our behavior, we have proved that our behavior is morally right.

This is an underlying tenet of the model of capitalism utilized by some of our greatest financial entities. As long as an action can be shown to benefit the company, they can go ahead with the action with no moral qualms. In fact "moral qualms" aren't frequently listed on the cost-benefit analysis unless they can be expressed in terms of numbers. The benefit is shown using carefully-selected sets of numbers and ignoring other numbers and other non-numeric factors. If we were to examine the whole spectrum of knowledge surrounding such an action, there are usually many "variables" involved, including the desires and preferences of everyone who might be affected. Yet, because these non-numeric concerns are non-numeric, they are deemed irrelevant to the argument. If you can't express it in numbers, you can't say it and be taken seriously.

Our adoration of numbers gives us great peace. It also gives us a very convenient set of labels and pigeon holes and black-and-white demarcations with which we may carve out our world. The apotheosis of the number will not diminish. The myopic approach to life will continue to allow atrocities to be committed for the sake of the bottom line. Only an eye for the bigger picture will allow us to avoid getting sucked deeper into the mythos with which we are slowly killing ourselves.