One of the things I've been shocked by during my session here at the State Capitol is the number of Representatives walking around using economic terms left and right but using them in ways that aren't accurate, misrepresent, or are utterly meaningless to the question at hand. I don't know a whole lot past the econ 101 I've taken, a few economic books I've read, and the econ bloggers I read. On one or two occasions I have scratched the surface of some of their statements by digging around and have found that my suspicions were unfortunately correct.
So when I happened upon this this morning I really wasn't surprised...
I've started to learn to make a distinction between functionality and competency. Just because you are functional in the world doesn't mean you are competent in your field, trade, or line of expertise. It may just mean you jumped through the right hoops and were persistent. That's not to downplay those skills--the ability to adhere to basic norms, and achieve specific tasks and goals in an accountable manner are to be applauded.
But the cautionary tale is that we should know what we know...and know what we don't know--didn't Socrates have something to say about that? And even further the next step of that is to act on what is correct... because action exposes truth--didn't Jesus have something to say about that?
By accepting the complexity and nuances of the world in a more astute manner we can help decrease the harm done with bad information which will allow us to differentiate those who are well meaning but wrong... from those who are ill intentioned, manipulative, and dangerous.
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