Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by behnamoh 702 days ago
> This is the danger of anecdotes, they can lead to bias.

Your own story is also a dangerous anecdote. Without the context, it's pointless to talk about how amazing your Ph.D. experience was. Study engineering or quantitative marketing? Most likely miserable. Study humanities? Probably happier.
3 comments
glitchc 702 days ago
It's as latexr said, my counterfactual anecdote holds as much water as the OP's. That's the point. Neither forms a verifiable statement of fact.

Regarding happiness or a Ph.D. being an amazing experience, I didn't say a word about any of that. Those seem to be some very strong assumptions around marriage/kids = happiness or engineering/marketing = misery that you're making.

link
latexr 702 days ago
> Your own story is also a dangerous anecdote.

I don’t think the person you’re replying to is implying their anecdotes are more valid, but that all anecdotes can be contradicted by opposing anecdotes and thus aren’t enough to make sweeping statements.

link
mlhpdx 702 days ago
What’s your wisened prognosis on studying Geophysics or Genetic Immunology?
link