“I Work With Reality, not Data”

A bias and fallacy common in Brazilian neoliberal and business circles, where one dismisses empirical evidence, statistics, and systematic analysis by appealing to a supposedly unmediated grasp of “reality.” The speaker claims that data is abstract, manipulated, or irrelevant, while their own personal observations, anecdotes, or “common sense” are direct contact with how things really are. The fallacy lies in assuming that rejecting data makes one more realistic, when in fact it abandons the very tools that correct individual bias. It’s a form of anti‑intellectualism dressed as pragmatism, often used to justify policies benefiting elite interests while ignoring contradictory evidence.

“I Work With Reality, not Data” Example: “The economist waved away poverty statistics with ‘I work with reality, not data’—as if his conversations in corporate boardrooms were more ‘real’ than millions of people’s living conditions.”

“I Work With Reality, not Data” by Dumu The Void March 23, 2026