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Bryan Caplan Quotes

Economist

Bryan Caplan is an economist born on April 8, 1971. He is known for his research in labor economics, public choice theory, and educational policy.

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All Political Economics Ifs People Thinking Voters World Advantage Anarchism Anarchy

Famous Bryan Caplan Quotes

“In a useful conversation... there is a double coincidence of wants. You have to be interested in what I have to say; I have to be interested in what you have to say. This is an important reason why people with conventional interests seem more socially intelligent. Even if they don't check whether their audience cares, it probably does.”

Friends Conversation Socializing Interests Social Intelligence Oration

Author:Bryan Caplan

“Earnest feminism leads you to treat men unjustly — to reflexively blame them both collectively and individually for the sheer imperfection of life. Earnest feminism leads you to treat non-feminists unjustly — to respond to reasonable objections with condescension and thinly-veiled threats. Earnest feminism turns you against your family – to see the father and brothers who have always loved and cared for you as part of “the enemy.” And earnest feminism leads you to treat yourself poorly — to see yourself as a victim, whose only reliable allies are other earnest feminists.”

Hate Feminism Victimhood Misandry

Book:Don't Be a Feminist: Essays on Genuine Justice

Source: Don't Be a Feminist: Essays on Genuine Justice

“Sociotropic voters with biased economic beliefs are more likely to produce severe political failures than are selfish voters with rational expectations.”

Political Belief Economic Produce Expectations Selfish Rational Voters Severe Biased

Author:Bryan Caplan

“There are two sources of error: Either you lack sufficient data, or you fail to take advantage of the data that you have.”

Two Failing Source Advantage Errors Data Sufficient

Author:Bryan Caplan

“Worldviews are more a mental security blanket than a serious effort to understand the world”

World Effort Security Serious Blanket Worldview

Book:The Myth of the Rational Voter: Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies

Source: The Myth of the Rational Voter: Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies

“The use of force is easy to rationalize in terms of basic economics. 'We should make them PAY for what they've done!' It's just the law of demand: raise the price of crossing us, and fewer people will cross us. Make the price another Hiroshima, and perhaps the quantity demanded will fall to zero.”

People Should Done Use Law Fall Force Easy Term Pay Demand Economics Crosses Raises Zero Fewer Quantity Crossings Hiroshima Rationalize Use Of Force

Author:Bryan Caplan

“If you can't feel secure - and teach your children to feel secure - about 1-in-610,000 nightmare scenarios - the problem isn't the world. It's you.”

Ifs World Feels Children Problem Teach Our Children Secure Your Children Nightmare Scenarios

Author:Bryan Caplan

“In daily life, reality gives us material incentives to restrain our irrationality. But what incentive do we have to think rationally about politics?”

Thinking Giving Reality Political Materials Daily Life Incentives Irrationality Anti Political

Book:The Myth of the Rational Voter: Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies (New Edition)

Source: The Myth of the Rational Voter: Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies (New Edition)

“There is a small minority of well-educated people with relatively sensible views on economics, and an extremely tiny minority of economists with highly sensible views. Then there's everybody else. ... To win, a politician needs to please the median voter. It makes little difference if a few thousand economists think you a fool.”

People Ifs Thinking Needs Wells Littles Political Winning Differences Views Fool Politician Please Thousand Economics Tiny Educated Minorities Voters Sensible Economist Well Educated Median

Author:Bryan Caplan

“Let us designate anarchism1 anarchism as you define it. Let us desiginate anarchism2 anarchism as I and the American Heritage College Dictionary define it.”

College Anarchy Heritage Dictionary Anarchism

Author:Bryan Caplan

“In a modern democracy, not only can a libertarian be elitist; a libertarian has to be elitist. To be a libertarian in a modern democracy is to say that nearly 300 million Americans are wrong, and a handful of nay-sayers are right.”

Millions Democracy Modern Libertarian Handful Elitist

Author:Bryan Caplan

“The best social insurance is to make more progress, not to make more work”

Social Progress

Author:Bryan Caplan

About the Author

Born: April 8, 1971
Known for: Economist
Quotes: 12

Books & Sources

Don't Be a Feminist: Essays on Genuine JusticeRelated source material

The Myth of the Rational Voter: Why Democracies Choose Bad PoliciesRelated source material

The Myth of the Rational Voter: Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies (New Edition)Related source material

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