In this age of specialization, I sometimes think of myself as the last 'generalist' in economics, with interests that range from mathematical economics down to current financial journalism. My real interests are research and teaching.
Interpretation
The quote reflects the value of having a broad knowledge base in a world that often favors specialization.
In this quote, Paul Samuelson expresses a sense of being a 'generalist' in the field of economics, suggesting that while many focus narrowly on specific areas, he values a wide range of interests that encompass both theoretical research and practical journalism. This perspective highlights the importance of interdisciplinary knowledge and the ability to connect various economic concepts and practices, which can enhance understanding and teaching in the field.
In practice
A speaker at a conference on education might use this quote to advocate for a more well-rounded approach to learning.
To a person of analytical ability, perceptive enough to realise that mathematical equipment was a powerful sword in economics, the world of economics was his or her oyster in 1935. The terrain was strewn with beautiful theorems begging to be picked up and arranged in unified order.
I can't think of a president who has been overburdened by a knowledge of economics.
My belief is that nothing that can be expressed by mathematics cannot be expressed by careful use of literary words.
Politicians like to tell people what they want to hear - and what they want to hear is what won't happen.
My family was well off but not rich. I spent the four years I was an undergraduate working on the beach. And it wasn't because I was lazy; it was because my freshman class would go to a hundred different employers and wouldn't get a nibble. That was a disequilibrium system. I realized that the ordinary old-fashioned Euclidean geometry didn't apply.
Economics has never been a science - and it is even less now than a few years ago.
The child’s parents are not his makers but his guardians.
Children have real understanding only of that which they invent themselves, and each time that we try to teach them too quickly, we keep them from reinventing it themselves.
I always individuate myself from other writers who say they would die if they couldn't write. For me, I'd die if I couldn't read.
They spent the first three years of school getting you to pretend stuff and then the rest of it marking you down if you did the same thing.
When I'm writing, I'm never trying to teach anything - maybe I'm trying to illuminate.
As the growth mindset has become more popular and taken hold, we are beginning to find that there are pitfalls. Many educators misunderstand or misapply the concepts.
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