George Meany: Economics Experts
on Friday, August 16, 2019George Meany Money Quote saying economists are so revered that their expertise is granted without evidence. George Meany said:
“Economics was the only profession where a person could be considered an expert without having once been right” — George Meany
In this quote, George Meany is poking fun at or criticizing the field of economics. He suggests that within economics, someone can be viewed as an expert and authority even if they have been consistently wrong in their past predictions and analyses.
Meany implies that unlike other professions, economists do not necessarily need to demonstrate a track record of accurate forecasts and conclusions to still be seen as knowledgeable experts.
The quote lightheartedly questions or doubts how experts are defined within economics, since according to Meany one could attain that status without ever having been proven right in their economic judgments before.
Birthday: August 16, 1894 – January 10, 1980