Why people love spreadsheets?

A colleague once told me

“Paper is the greatest invention of humankind, because it accepts anything you put on it”

I believe digital spreadsheets, then, are an even greater invention, because they not only accept anything you put on them, but they also allow you to easily adjust huge amounts of data to conclude whatever you want.

Truth be told, digital spreadsheets are a powerful and flexible tool for storing, organizing and analyzing vast amounts of complex data, making them an essential resource for anyone working with information, from finance to science. However, this power can be used to create parallel realities. Realities that provides a sensation of comfort and power.

The ability of people to manipulate data in spreadsheets is not new. Benjamin Disraeli, the British prime minister, once said,

“There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.”

This quote, popularized by Mark Twain, highlights the potential dangers of relying solely on numbers.

Digital spreadsheets, like models, are a representation of reality created by humans. They are not absolute and are dependent on the quality of the information inputted. As computer scientists like to say,

“Garbage in, garbage out.”

Despite their potential to manipulate data, spreadsheets remain a valuable resource for individuals and organizations alike, as long as they are used responsibly. Approach them with a critical eye and ensure the quality of the information inputted, to ensure that sound decisions are made based on accurate data.