An anecdote is really just a story, focused on a particular person or situation. Merriam-Webster defines an anecdote as “a usually short narrative of an interesting, amusing, or biographical incident”. I do love storytelling—I am, after all, a writer of sorts. And I’ve used storytelling all my life, particularly during my work years. Nothing helps sell a customer or a business plan or a job like a good story. So, anecdotes have a strong positive side. But they also have a negative side. Anecdotal information can be misleading or, worse, misdirecting. Since I recently spent a lot of time on airplanes and in cars, I’ve had time to ruminate on anecdotes a bit and we’re going to unpack that a bit today. (This is why Trish rarely asks, “What are you thinking about?”)
What better way to start a discussion on the power of anecdotes than with a story! I’m sure you’ve all seen the commercials for Prevagen, a supplement sold as a way for those of us “of a certain age” to improve our memory and mental sharpness. When I first noticed the commercials (it’s been on the market since 2007), the manufacturer made some pretty specific claims about the clinical effectiveness of the pill. Then I started reading about claims that the product didn’t work, that the company was being sued for false advertising, and that the FDA had come down on them pretty hard. The product is still available, of course, but the commercials no longer refer to clinical studies that prove efficacy. Instead, the commercials show folks from various walks of life giving testimonials as to the benefits they ascribe to taking Prevagen. This is not false advertising. I have no doubt that there are people who firmly believe that there is a causal connection between taking Prevagen and improvements in their mental function. They can tell their stories. But their experience does not prove a broad, scientifically valid clinical effect of the product. (Brace yourself. There is probably an essay on the Scientific Method coming.) These stories are just that—anecdotal information relevant only to the storyteller. But it can encourage others to think, “Well, maybe it will work for me, too.”
In a situation like the story about Prevagen, it’s pretty harmless if someone accepts an anecdotal testimonial as being broadly applicable, or at least applicable to themselves. As long as the supplement is safe to use (not guaranteed by the FDA, by the way), then the biggest harm is parting with a bit of money and pride. It’s also mostly harmless when you are providing examples from your own experiences to teach a lesson, such as all the stories I tell when I’m coaching someone. The key, of course, is to keep in mind that these are examples and, as the disclaimers on all those commercials remind us in teeny, tiny print: individual results may vary. When I launch into my story of the random walk that was my career progression, I always provide the disclaimer that these were my experiences associated with my particular situations at the time I was going through them. The idea of telling the story is not to say, “This is what I did, so if you do the same things, you’ll have the same outcome.” It’s to start the conversation to dig deeper to understand what may have led to the outcomes I had and what is relevant to the situation the listener finds themselves in at the moment.
Anecdotes run rampant within our news media, of course. I subscribe to a daily news digest called The Flip Side. Each day, they pick a current topic and then present a sampling of commentary from the conservative right and the liberal left. The two sides rarely disagree on the same statement. Rather, they choose anecdotes that support their view and ignore anecdotes (and data) that support a different view. Neither is wrong, really. They are choosing to focus on different aspects of a topic. A conservative might focus on the fraud and waste of our social safety net programs. A liberal might focus on the success stories of how these programs brought families out of poverty or gave people a chance to pull themselves up with the support of basic assistance. They are both right. There are many examples of both waste and success. These programs are never going to get better and more effective, though, if we only focus on the stories we prefer.
To really dig into what I mean, I am going to share an anecdote from our recent travels. While we were in St. George, Utah, for a week, we found a little sports bar that we really liked. We liked it enough to go there two nights in a row and we liked our server enough to ask for her table when we came for the second night. So, let me tell you a little about Sandra. We were asking her about life in Utah and she told us a bit of her story. As part of that, we learned that, as a server, she earns only about $2.10/hour in wages since there is an expectation that she’ll make up the difference between that and the minimum wage through tips. But she needs to share her tips with the bar staff and the bus staff. She works six days a week and just can’t make ends meet. She and her partner lost their house in the housing bust in 2009, they can barely make their rent payments now, and they are expecting a rent increase when their lease renews shortly. She plans to move into her Mom’s house, renting a basement apartment from her. She has no idea if they will ever get any further. Her attitude was fairly positive, considering. She is a very hardworking, nice person who just can’t get ahead in this world today. We left a nice tip on the credit card check and then gave her some extra cash to put directly into her pocket. When we did that, she looked a bit horrified and said, “I didn’t…I wasn’t asking for…” but we wanted her to have it. So, what are we to do with this information (besides having this blog post go viral and everyone in Utah patronizing Guru’s in St. George and giving Sandra huge tips)?
One temptation is to say, “This is what’s wrong with our economy today! Hardworking average people just can’t get ahead! We must increase wages and reduce housing costs.” Another response is to think, “Clearly, she’s made some poor choices and made her bed. Hardworking honest people can get ahead if they work hard enough.” My response? Ask more questions. Thanks to Google, I know that the Federal requirement for tipped workers is indeed $2.13/hour with an assumption of $5.12/hr in tips, taking the presumed wage up to the current Federal minimum of $7.25/hr. Besides Utah, 15 other states hold to this minimum and another 15 states don’t crack $5/hr in wages before tips. Let’s say that Sandra works 50 hours/week and manages to get that average in tips to bring her wages up to $7.25/hr. That’s $362.50/week or $18,850 per year, before taxes. A 2 bedroom apartment in St. George rents for about $1000/month. It’s a pricey place. But they still need servers who can afford to live there. Even if Sandra’s partner brings in the same wages, they barely clear the recommended hurdle of 30% of gross wages on housing.
The data tell us her situation is tight. But we know no more than that, and that she seems like a good person. I can’t tell you anything more about Sandra’s situation and history. I can’t tell you what she could have done differently. I don’t know if she makes good choices or not. I’m not going to pass judgment on her or the large number of people in her situation. But this anecdote reminds me that there are a lot of people in her basic situation and struggling. You can choose to believe her story is representative or that it’s an outlier. You can call up any number of anecdotes to support whichever solution you prefer to these and other problems. And you know what? Everyone is a little bit right. Our world is complex enough that multiple solutions will be required to address the range of situations in which people find themselves. All we can do is this: ask questions to understand how representative is the anecdote you are hearing. Is this situation wide spread or rare? Regardless, remember the humanity and uniqueness of the persons involved. Everyone needs a little understanding and often a little help at times. We’ll talk about judgment next time. And, of course, always tip your server well!