Why do we use the sum of squared deviation scores from the mean and not sum of deviation scores when calculating the variance?

Name: Why do we use the sum of squared deviation scores from the mean and not sum of deviation scores when calculating the variance?
Brand: Quizplus
Rating: 4.9 (45 reviews)

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The sum of deviation scores will always be zero, which is not useful for calculating variance. The sum of squared deviation scores, on the other hand, gives a measure of the variability of the data.

Why Do We Use the Sum of Squared Deviation Scores