Lost in numbers, obscuring our selves

Numbers and rankings are everywhere. We add up our Twitter followers and Facebook friends. We use standardized test scores to evaluate teachers and students.

"Numbers make intangibles tangible," said Jonah Lehrer, a journalist and author of "How We Decide." "They give the illusion of control."

Many people shopping for cars, for example, get fixated on how much horsepower an engine has, though in most cases it doesn't matter, Mr. Lehrer said.