Munger’s remark highlights the value of visual representation when working with numerical information. People can struggle to interpret long sequences of figures or recognise relationships between them, while a graph can make trends, differences and patterns easier to see.

The wider point is that useful tools often compensate for limitations in human reasoning. A graph does not remove the need for careful analysis, but it can organise information in a form that is more accessible to perception and comparison. This can help people identify changes, outliers or relationships that may be difficult to notice in a table of numbers.

More broadly, the quote reflects Munger’s preference for practical methods that improve judgement. Turning abstract quantities into visual form can reduce cognitive effort and make complex information easier to understand, communicate and evaluate.