Quant, Part 1

Sometimes I question science
or rather
I question the religion of science
the mandatory belief in medians
in A/B testing and
endless averages
I read a book that taught me
that the way humans’ brains
work, they make snap judgments
our intuition reigns supreme
But then we feel we have
to justify our beliefs
So we find numbers
to help craft the storytelling
Only rarely do we actually let data
change our preordained conclusion
Part of me wants to fight
against this part
of human nature.
I see so clearly that
   most, but not all, of the time –
it’s all a farce
a ruse to convince
   ourselves
   others
That we know what we’re talking about
We are all the Wizard of Oz
hiding behind a curtain
trying desperately to maintain
the controlled illusion
and make ourselves look and feel bigger than we are

Who anointed quantification?
And when did I learn to
stop trusting my own intuition?