Emily Rauscher – Everyone who confuses correlation with causation eventually ends up dead
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Welcome to The Daily Quote—a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I'm your host, Andrew McGivern, and today is October 13th.
Now, if you're feeling extra skeptical about life this morning, well, you’re in luck. Today is International Skeptics Day! It’s a day to question things, demand evidence, and give a second glance to those suspicious "too-good-to-be-true" promises. And who better to guide us through this critical thinking exercise than the author of today’s quote?
International Skeptics Day is, of course, all about embracing the fine art of questioning. In a world that bombards you with information, opinions, and… well, the occasional conspiracy theory - occasional yeah right! These days there is a new one every week... so it’s a good idea to have a healthy amount of doubt. Ask questions, seek evidence, and remember, just because someone said it with confidence doesn’t mean it’s true. Skepticism helps you cut through the noise—and let’s be honest, it also helps you avoid getting influenced by a make belief world view.
Today’s quote comes from sociologist Emily Rauscher, who reminds us that correlation does not equal causation...
She once said,
“Everyone who confuses correlation with causation eventually ends up dead.”
Now, if you are confused... before you panic, take a deep breath. What Rauscher is really getting at here is the classic mistake of jumping to conclusions. Just because two things happen at the same time, doesn’t mean one caused the other. For example, back when I was kid some of the Mom's thought heavy metal music caused bad behaviour in school kids... but maybe these troubled kids were attracted to that kind of music. The music itself probably wasn't the cause of bad behaviour.
This is perfectly suited for International Skeptics Day. Don’t be so quick to assume that two linked events are automatically connected. Correlation may look convincing, but it can also be like that unreliable friend who shows up to your party with a bag of ice and no drinks. Sure, they’re contributing, but they’re not quite solving the problem.
Rauscher’s quote has a deeper message—especially today. You see, skeptics understand that life is full of complex relationships between things. Just because you drop your toast and it always lands butter-side down doesn’t mean the universe is out to get you… although, I admit, it does feel personal sometimes.
Being skeptical doesn’t mean being cynical, though. It means being thoughtful. It means questioning the obvious, digging deeper for the truth, and understanding that life isn’t always as simple as cause and effect. It’s about being smart enough to separate coincidence from genuine connection.
I saw someone post on facebook that a young man got a vaccine and then "died suddenly" - by crashing his motorcycle into a wall. So yeah, there is a correlation between vaccination and death here... but definitely not causation in this case.
There is a lot of correlation being confused as causation out there these days...
In the end, skepticism protects you from jumping to conclusions—whether it's about science, news, or even those pesky everyday annoyances. And who knows, maybe it’ll save you from blaming your lack of morning motivation on that second cup of coffee. Spoiler alert: It’s probably not the coffee. It's likely just Monday's fault.
So, on this International Skeptics Day, I encourage you to sharpen your critical thinking skills. The next time something sounds a little too cool or a little too convenient, pause and question it. And if you ever find yourself in a conversation about causation and correlation, well, you’ll have Emily Rauscher’s wisdom—and maybe a touch of humor—to back you up.
Thank you for joining me on The Daily Quote. I’m your host, Andrew McGivern, reminding you to stay curious, stay thoughtful, and most importantly—don’t confuse correlation with causation.
Until next time, take care!