Nicolas Cage Movies Cause Drownings

• College graduates make $17,500 more than those with a high school education, therefore going to college increases your income an average of $17,500.
• Science proves that people who have regular chiropractic visits live longer, healthier lives. Therefore consistent chiropractic visits cause people to live longer.

Often when people see statistics like these, they immediately think one thing causes the other. But does it? Do Nicolas Cage movies cause drownings? 

We need to be careful about jumping to conclusions...

Years when Nicolas Cage makes more movies, there are more deaths by drowning, therefore Nicolas Cage movies cause drownings.

The margarine consumption in the US closely correlates with the divorce rate in Maine. Therefore Americans' consumption of margarine causes divorces in Maine.

Correlation does not mean causation. 

These are absurd examples showing correlation doesn't always imply causation. Let's dig a little deeper into the more realistic correlations at the beginning of this post. Let's see if we can determine whether or not they are true.

College graduates make more money because they went to college.

This sounds reasonable, but is the higher average income a direct result of the college degree? Or could there be other factors involved? Maybe people with college degrees have common traits? Perhaps they make more money because they're generally smarter, more ambitious, and harder workers?

Maybe a college degree accounts for the entire $17,500 difference, or possibly none of the income disparity. Maybe it's somewhere in the middle. It is nearly impossible to prove one way or the other.

People live longer, healthier lives because they go to the chiropractor.

Walking into my chiropractor’s office, I saw a sign on the wall

It’s scientifically proven that people who have regular chiropractic visits live longer, healthier lives.

“So what?” I thought. Maybe chiropractic visits do the body so much good that people live longer because of them. Or, perhaps it’s the other way around? What if people who consistently visit chiropractors tend to take better care of their body than those who don't. Maybe they eat healthier, stay active, and focus on preventing diseases rather than treating them? These things would certainly make a difference in determining a person expected lifespan. 

Final Thoughts

It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking one thing causes another. Sometimes it is the case, but many times it isn't. When you see statistics like the ones mentioned in this blog post, try to consider other possibilities before coming to any conclusions. Think about whether or not there could be other factors involved.