General

Re: Student Appreciation Thread

Student — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 08:38:32 GMT

Aw shucks. You ain't gotta be sorry for liking sweet johnny. Sweet johny likes you too.

Re: Student Appreciation Thread

Prashanth Perumal — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 06:39:54 GMT

Student is one of the smartest guys in this forum, and very very helpful. But what makes him the best is that he is not snobbish, unlike many other pricks over here. Cheers!

Re: Student Appreciation Thread

Student — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 05:51:44 GMT

Thanks for getting this thread back on track. But clearly there is a typo in your question. I'm sure what you meant to ask is which of these leaders most embody ME.

The answer of course is that I'm sure they all in my debt to some extent. Biden more than most. But mostly because I paid for his hair plugs.

Re: Student Appreciation Thread

Neodoxy — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 03:33:57 GMT

Student,

I'm sure that I, and many others, are intensly curious as to which one of histories' greatest leaders you consider yourself to most thoroughly embody. If you had to choose:

Re: Student Appreciation Thread

Student — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 04:03:44 GMT

I'm seeing a lot of negative energy in a thread is only suppose to be about POSTIVE energy...directed at me...or the Fonz. Thank you for your cooperation.

Re: Student Appreciation Thread

John James — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 03:32:37 GMT

Autolykos:
I didn't mean to imply that every thread must be serious - but I, for one, am certainly not amused by this thread.

I don't think anyone is, or ever was for that matter. That's why it quickly got buried soon after it was created, until the creator decided to troll some more and bumped it a couple days ago, and it quickly got derailed...which is the only reason it is where it is now.

Re: Student Appreciation Thread

Autolykos — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 03:17:18 GMT

I didn't mean to imply that every thread must be serious - but I, for one, am certainly not amused by this thread.

Re: Student Appreciation Thread

DanielMuff — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 03:14:20 GMT

http://mises.org/Community/forums/t/6317.aspx

Re: Student Appreciation Thread

Autolykos — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 02:31:35 GMT

I think less of Student because he made this thread. In fact, I'm surprised this thread wasn't removed immediately after it was created.

Re: Student Appreciation Thread

Neodoxy — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:36:38 GMT

"First of all, that was not the average paycheck. That was the median paycheck. There is big a difference, which you might want to look up."

Yea I remember learning the difference in fourth grade.

"Second, that was mid-career salary, as in after 15 years of experience in the field."

And?

"Third, as far as I could see the survey does not offer any information regarding the number of people who hold such degrees versus the number who are employed at any salary...let alone that one".

That's a fair point, although the fact is that if one gets a job surrounding an economics PHD then you have a 50 percent shot at getting one above 100 K a year (yes, I know it's not that simple for any specific individual but if we don't know any more about them then that's the case).

"What exactly is a "normal" person?"

People who fit broadly into the catagory of the 'average' American which is some college and about a fourth with a degree, much fewer with a PHD in any field.

"And I guess it would need to be made clear what kind of influence we're talking about."

It depends upon what kind of influence one works towards.

"I could say soccer players have influence and point to Pele single-handedly stopping a civil war in Nigeria. I could say agronomists have influence and point to Norman Borlaug. I could say destitute people have influence and point to Gandhi."

Yes, but if you want to take your chances of having influence then a degree in economics will undoubtedly boost your chances greatly, just as the degree and great footballing ability helped the two you mentioned to become influential, and Gandhi's education helped him to develope the message, drive, and eloquence, to be influential.

'Naming the extreme exceptions does not help support a claim about "average".'

No argument there, but it can help to reinforce the message, especially since I am claiming that it partly depends upon what you want to do with it. Most economists spend their time on mundane research of various kinds, working on small things which are unlikely to majorly influence the field and will only affect any sort of public policy in a very roundabout way, but if one wanted to then one's knowledge and standing give one a good deal of room for influence. What part of this do you doubt?

"And for those two questions, I honestly don't see "bank & influence" being very accurate answers. Other than Krugman and his insane obsession with living in an Isaac Asimov novel, I honestly don't see many people looking for money and power saying "I know...I'll get a graduate degree in economics!"."

I'm not necessarily arguing that if one wanted those things that an econ degree would be one's first choice, I'm merely saying that if one wanted those things then it's easy to go a lot more wrong than those. It was just a joke answer at first, but that doesn't mean there isn't some validity behind it.

Re: Student Appreciation Thread

John James — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 23:34:32 GMT

Neodoxy:
Well basically. It depends on what you do. I've never met an economist with a phd who's in any way struggling (and yes, I have actually met a fair number even though I was actually surprised by the average paycheck shown in Vive's link)

First of all, that was not the average paycheck. That was the median paycheck. There is big a difference, which you might want to look up. Second, that was mid-career salary, as in after 15 years of experience in the field. Third, as far as I could see the survey does not offer any information regarding the number of people who hold such degrees versus the number who are employed at any salary...let alone that one.

...one can't deny that economists wield a fair amount of influence when compared to a normal person.

What exactly is a "normal" person? Somone who has an equivalent degree in some other field? Someone who has no degree at all? Or someone who simply doesn't have an economics degree?

And I guess it would need to be made clear what kind of influence we're talking about. You might be talking about influence in a specific department at a specific educational institution or something of that sort. Generally when people talk about a posititon of influence they mean in the sense of indirect power...as in someone who can individually affect great change. Of course you can point to Ben Bernanke or Paul Krugman...but if you're going that far I could easily point to virtually any profession and say it has vast influence on geo-politics, the economy, and even war and peace. I could say soccer players have influence and point to Pele single-handedly stopping a civil war in Nigeria. I could say agronomists have influence and point to Norman Borlaug. I could say destitute people have influence and point to Gandhi.

Naming the extreme exceptions does not help support a claim about "average".

I'm not saying its the best paying or most influential position, but if you're just going for a PHD it's hard to go too much further in these areas than with a degree in economics

The question was "what job do you expect to find as an economist?" And what's more, it sounds like your post was answering "why would someone get a degree in economics?"

And for those two questions, I honestly don't see "bank & influence" being very accurate answers. Other than Krugman and his insane obsession with living in an Isaac Asimov novel, I honestly don't see many people looking for money and power saying "I know...I'll get a graduate degree in economics!".

Re: Student Appreciation Thread

Neodoxy — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 22:49:09 GMT

"Oh, you wish to suggest that the man is literally nothing? "

Re: Student Appreciation Thread

Neodoxy — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 22:47:50 GMT

"Surely the Fonz would never be so uncool as to start a fight with Ron.."

True. That would be most uncool.

"Perhaps...but it sounded like you were saying "bank & influence" were two reasons to become a professional economist...as in, becoming a professional economist generally brings you those things...which is probably one of the most dumbfounding things I've heard. It sounds like the punchline of an economist joke."

Oh, I thought you meant the phrasing.

Well basically. It depends on what you do. I've never met an economist with a phd who's in any way struggling (and yes, I have actually met a fair number even though I was actually surprised by the average paycheck shown in Vive's link) and one can't deny that economists wield a fair amount of influence when compared to a normal person. This is especially true depending upon how much influence they attempt to take, be it within the economic field itself (which tends to make its way out, however vaguely to public policy and opinion), with political groups (like Krugman or Murphy both of whom have a fair amount of sway over very different groups), or through public policy (Bernanke, economic advisors and the like).

I'm not saying its the best paying or most influential position, but if you're just going for a PHD it's hard to go too much further in these areas than with a degree in economics

Re: Student Appreciation Thread

John James — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 22:12:59 GMT

Neodoxy:
It's an incredibly vague reference which I forgot was quite as vague as it was and so probably wasn't worth posting

Perhaps...but it sounded like you were saying "bank & influence" were two reasons to become a professional economist...as in, becoming a professional economist generally brings you those things...which is probably one of the most dumbfounding things I've heard. It sounds like the punchline of an economist joke.

Re: Student Appreciation Thread

nirgrahamUK — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 19:11:12 GMT

Surely the Fonz would never be so uncool as to start a fight with Ron...