Beyond the Average: Understanding Deviation

Your average is lying to you. Just looking at the mean is the fastest way to get

played by statistics because it hides the chaos. You need to know the spread.

That is where Standard Deviation comes in—it measures the actual distance of data from the

center. Think about it. Two companies can have the same average profit,

but if one fluctuates wildly, that is risky. Use the Coefficient of Variation to

spot who is actually consistent. And if the graph looks lopsided? That is skewness

pulling your data apart. Don't settle for the average; the real story is always

in the deviation.