Via Danny Rendleman:
One of my greatest pleasures in writing has come from the thought that perhaps my work might annoy someone of comfortably pretentious position. Then comes the saddening realization that such people rarely read.
–John Kenneth Galbraith, economist (1908-2006)
This was the quote of the day on A Word A Day either today or yesterday.
Yes. That’s where Danny got it. Of course Galbraith had much more to say about many things, but the writing quote shows up among writers fairly often. As this quote The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable. often shows up amongst economists.
When I was in high school, I watched JK Galbraith’s television series on economics- it inspired me to be an economist- that dream lasted until I hit the wall of economics in college.
He will forever be respected in India for being a great friend of the Indian people- his amabassadorship to India during the Kennedy years is apparently still fondly recalled.