It seems like when we talk about something, it always seems to be, statistically speaking. But, what about the things that aren't? The things that are overlooked, unacknowledged, known about, but no one actually decides to speak of them, the things that only some seem to recognize, but never talk about them because they don't have numbers to back it up.
Let's compare this part of life to America's greatest past time, baseball, and more specifically while batting. A hitter can do several things during an at bat. It's a misconception when you don't get on base by hitting the ball. But let's talk about the things that are overlooked. You could move a runner, by bunting, or a fielder's choice, and be thrown out; that counts towards your batting average, but what about what it did in the scheme of things? You could hit a sacrifice fly ball to outfield to move a runner or to score a run. Or perhaps you get walked, or hit by a pitch, this has no representative value towards your batting average, only your on-base percentage. But, what isn't seen is how this person helped the team regardless of the way, but people only seem to look at the numbers.
People go into the score book and start calculating batting averages, on-base percentages, slugging percentages, and typically rank the players by their abilities, based on these numbers, when realistically, they have nothing to do with how well the player performed or whether they did their job well during that situation.
When you strike out in baseball, it goes down in the book either as a 'K or a backwards 'K; both lessen your slugging percentage, on-base percentage and batting average. People recognize this as a not so good thing to do, and even if it happens once in awhile, it's noted and normally not forgotten. This is similar as to when you make a little mistake in life. It could have been the utmost minor mistake, but people will dwell on it for weeks, maybe even months. Your significant other could have forgotten your anniversary. Every time since then, you always bring it up somehow in the fight, because he struck out, indefinitely that day, and you haven't forgotten as the score keeper.
When you get a hit, everyone applauds you for your efforts and sees how well you did and how far you hit the ball. But, when you hit a fly ball to the outfield and the runner tags up at third and scores, no one seems to notice you, they only see the runner advancing home. This is like when you help a friend and tutor them. You help them gain the knowledge, understand the concepts, and be ready to take the test. Their grade started at a D, but after a few weeks of studying, you helped them get their grade to a B. Everyone saw them move around the bases, increasing their test scores, and eventually getting an A on their test. But you, got no credit for getting them there.
But, what about when you advance a runner, by either a bunt or a fielder's choice? You did your job, moved the runner, all people see is that you got out, and that messes with your stats. But yet, you still did something good. So, you do a school project with a few people in your class. Each person has a section of the project to do, and the end, you should all cumulatively be able to put the project together. You do your portion, which earns your group a 98% in that section, but your partners made you hand the project in two days late because they didn't have their sections done. Plus, they didn't try or work as hard, and they earned you poor scores in their sections. When your entire project grade is added, you end up with a C-, even though you did your portion of the project.
Whatever you did at the plate, no matter good or bad will be represented by numbers. Whatever you do in life, will be seen by the same exact thing. Even in aspects you wouldn't think your life would be determined by numbers, it will happen. It will be most prevelant in the things you focus on each day, like in baseball, its batting and fielding statistics, but it could be in your job, how much you sell each month, or how much many you make, or in school with your G.P.A or class rank. It's all about the numbers, everywhere, statistically speaking of course.
