“Many of the stories economists tell take the form of models—for whatever else they are, economic models are stories about how the world works.”

— Paul Krugman

Preface
Economics (4th ed., 2015)

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Paul Krugman 106

American economist 1953

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Context: If an economist uses a complicated model to predict just about anything, you can ignore it. By analogy, a doctor can’t tell you the exact date of your death in 50 years. But if a doctor tells you to eat less and exercise more, that’s good advice even if you later get hit by a bus. Along those same lines, economists can give useful general advice on the economy, even if you know there will be surprises. Still, be skeptical.