Probability distributions are abstractions. No actual data distribution is Normal, though some approach it, I suppose. It is a mathematical shortcut. It can ma

Probability distributions are abstractions. No actual data distribution is Normal, though some approach it, I suppose. It is a mathematical shortcut. It can make analysis and computations simpler, thus cheaper. Though it can also destroy economies if you forget that it's an abstraction. You don't need to use the analytic distributions. You can get by with simulations, bootstrapping, if you have computational horsepower.