A mean, a median and a mode walk into a bar. The same data can give very different 'averages' depending on which one you pick — and a mischievous statistician can use that to mislead you.
Five test scores: 4, 7, 8, 8, 8 (out of 10). Which average makes the class look best, and which is most typical?
When someone quotes 'the average', ask which one. Proud of a big number? They mean the mean. Want to look modest? They'll quote the median.
- Mean = total ÷ count — sensitive to outliers.
- Median = middle value when sorted — robust.
- Mode = most frequent value — can be none or several.
- Same data, three different 'averages' — always check which.
Office salaries: $30k, $32k, $34k, $36k, $200k. What's the average?
Mean = $66.4k (skewed by the boss's salary). Median = $34k. Mode = no mode. The median is the most honest summary here.
When someone quotes 'the average', ask which one. If they're proud of a high number, they probably mean the mean. If they want to look modest, they'll quote the median.