‘Might’ Makes . . . Right?
Words are funny things. They can entertain, elucidate, inform — and yes, sometimes mislead. It is, of course, one of the reasons that I have long sought to see the actual questions asked in surveys that purport to convey opinions, not to mention the actual data/results behind those assertions, which can hide behind other malleable labels like “some,” “many,” or even “most.” They can also be a result of what I’ll term “malleable” opinion/assessment labels, such as “might” or “somewhat” or “it depends.” For example, a recent survey claiming that participants [i] were enthusiastic about gaining access to private markets contained the following statement: "Many believe private markets can provide potential growth and diversification in their portfolios…" However, in this case (looking at the actual findings) “many” appears to be…36%. [ii] The report continues to explain that “…while others are interested but want more information… here the number actually is h...