“Correlation doesn’t imply causation.” It’s true. But it’s also lazy. When we encounter a correlation, our first instinct shouldn’t be to dismiss it. We should ask, “What’s really going on here? What is the real causal relationship?” There are three alternative explanations of correlation: Reverse causation Confounding Selection Reverse Causation Reverse causation is a logical error where someone mistakenly switches the cause and effect in a situation. They incorrectly assume that B causes A, when in reality, A causes B.

July 1, 2024