The Mises Community
An online community for fans of Austrian economics and libertarianism, featuring forums, user blogs, and more.

You know you're an Austrian when...

This post has 56 Replies | 16 Followers

Top 25 Contributor
Male
Posts 1,504
Points 28,725
Moderator

When you stop finding certain jokes funny, because they don't make sense economically speaking.

This has happened multiple times to me, to the point where my friends begin to scowl about how "you can't tell jokes" to me.

Nitroadict:

bbnet:

 .... you're on mises.org at 2:30 am.

End of thread.  Time for bed.  2:42 am.

Bah! Sleep is for the weak, my good friend.

  • | Post Points: 35
Top 200 Contributor
Male
Posts 132
Points 2,770
Magnus replied on Thu, Sep 24 2009 4:06 AM

When you are the only one at  econ class questioning the professors lack of epistemological teachings.

 

 

  • | Post Points: 20
Top 25 Contributor
Male
Posts 992
Points 16,045
Conza88 replied on Thu, Sep 24 2009 4:32 AM

You know you're an Austrian when... you realise markets don't fail, only governments do.

 

  • | Post Points: 20
Top 10 Contributor
Male
Posts 4,669
Points 81,345

You know you're Austrian when you'll go blue in the face trying to convince people that Hitler was German.

"You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows"

Bob Dylan

  • | Post Points: 20
Top 100 Contributor
Male
Posts 369
Points 7,270
Staff
SystemAdministrator
jtucker replied on Thu, Sep 24 2009 6:37 AM

The point about saying things your prof can't understand is important. Austrians have a huge advantage over other students. In class after class, in nearly every discipline, an Austrian can add unique insights from history and theory. Profs are often astounded at the brilliant young student in the class, throwing out names of thinkers like Spooner or Etiene de la Boetie  or points about the methodenstreit - stuff that no one else knows about.. Austrians can appear to be the most erudite student the prof has ever had. It provides endless sources for topics of papers, with arguments to please either a right wing or left wing teacher. It's like magic. Profs are often astounded and thrilled, while having no clue about the source of all this stuff.

Jeffrey Tucker
Editorial VP, Mises

  • | Post Points: 35
Top 10 Contributor
Male
Posts 2,814
Points 50,100
Moderator

jtucker:

The point about saying things your prof can't understand is important. Austrians have a huge advantage over other students. In class after class, in nearly every discipline, an Austrian can add unique insights from history and theory. Profs are often astounded at the brilliant young student in the class, throwing out names of thinkers like Spooner or Etiene de la Boetie  or points about the methodenstreit - stuff that no one else knows about.. Austrians can appear to be the most erudite student the prof has ever had. It provides endless sources for topics of papers, with arguments to please either a right wing or left wing teacher. It's like magic. Profs are often astounded and thrilled, while having no clue about the source of all this stuff.

We are just normal people on the shoulders of giants Mr. Tucker.

'It is difficult to imagine any normal person wishing to meet Marx for a third time.' - Alexander Gray, The Socialist Tradition

  • | Post Points: 5
Top 50 Contributor
Posts 684
Points 11,870
Esuric replied on Thu, Sep 24 2009 1:37 PM

krazy kaju:
When you stop finding certain jokes funny, because they don't make sense economically speaking.

10/10

  • | Post Points: 20
Top 200 Contributor
Male
Posts 122
Points 2,700
trulib replied on Thu, Sep 24 2009 2:01 PM

When you start using terms like "time-preference" in everyday conversations.

Truth and Liberty

"No army can stop an idea whose time has come." - Victor Hugo

  • | Post Points: 20
Top 25 Contributor
Male
Posts 1,466
Points 24,470
Daniel replied on Thu, Sep 24 2009 4:05 PM

When you get annoyed when someone implies that the value of something is not subjective, as in "this house is selling below its true value."

My favorite online shop: www.cafepress.com/libertyphile Big Smile

  • | Post Points: 20
Top 200 Contributor
Male
Posts 142
Points 2,120
Praetyre replied on Thu, Sep 24 2009 4:19 PM

Daniel:
When you get annoyed when someone implies that the value of something is not subjective, as in "this house is selling below its true value."

I have this exact problem, as well as a similar one regarding wages.

  • | Post Points: 5
Not Ranked
Male
Posts 18
Points 240

jtucker:
The point about saying things your prof can't understand is important. Austrians have a huge advantage over other students. In class after class, in nearly every discipline, an Austrian can add unique insights from history and theory. Profs are often astounded at the brilliant young student in the class, throwing out names of thinkers like Spooner or Etiene de la Boetie  or points about the methodenstreit - stuff that no one else knows about.. Austrians can appear to be the most erudite student the prof has ever had. It provides endless sources for topics of papers, with arguments to please either a right wing or left wing teacher. It's like magic. Profs are often astounded and thrilled, while having no clue about the source of all this stuff.

Would I be correct in assuming this applies more to later year studies? I'm a first year econ student and frankly all my knowledge of Austrian econ is doing now as far as my education is concerned is making me irritated at the fallicious keynesian economics I'm being taught and at the heavy statistical bent my course seems to have.

  • | Post Points: 20
Top 25 Contributor
Male
Posts 898
Points 15,845
Moderator
wombatron replied on Fri, Sep 25 2009 12:38 AM

When you know what the words a priori, methodenstreit, and verstehen mean.  Bonus points if you can pronounce them Stick out tongue

Market anarchist, Linux geek, aspiring Perl hacker, and student of the neo-Aristotelians, the classical individualist anarchists, and the Austrian school.

  • | Post Points: 5
Top 75 Contributor
Male
Posts 532
Points 9,125

Adam Frost:

Would I be correct in assuming this applies more to later year studies? I'm a first year econ student and frankly all my knowledge of Austrian econ is doing now as far as my education is concerned is making me irritated at the fallicious keynesian economics I'm being taught and at the heavy statistical bent my course seems to have.

It depends entirely how you come across.  Your professors are your professors, and should be treated as such.  Not just out of respect (although, this should be a big reason), but because they are the professors who will write letters of recomendation once you graduate and you're looking for an internship/job/masters/PhD.  Nevertheless, generally those who are knowledgeable on Austrian economics also tend to be very passionate about the subject, and this does show in your classes.  You will also, generally speaking, show more understanding of economic concepts, as compared to your fellow students, and so if you take the time to know your professor (by going to office hours), this will show itself.  All of this will factor in on the professor's impression of you.  That said, you don't necessarily need to pretend to agree with him or her, but you will necessarily have to agree to disagree (respectfully, and almost always inclining towards his opinion).  The main thing is to show the professor that he is supporting someone that shows promise to have a very successful future in the field.  That said, Austrian economics is condusive to giving you a head start to show that over your peers.

  • | Post Points: 20
Top 150 Contributor
Posts 266
Points 4,510
xahrx replied on Fri, Sep 25 2009 9:23 AM

You know you're an Austrian...

when you tend to disagree with everyone in a conversation about politics or economics.

when Ron Paul talks about something besides war and still makes sense to you.

when economists who wear bow ties have more credibility in your eyes.

when you wish for a privately owned super highway on the way home from work after being caught in Long Island traffic for more than two hours because some moron government cops decided to block all three lanes of traffic and lay down flares and leave their lights and sirens blaring as they proceeded to try and get a cat out of a tree on the side of the road.

That last one may be kind of particular and personal now that I think about it.

"I was just in the bathroom getting ready to leave the house, if you must know, and a sudden wave of admiration for the cotton swab came over me." - Anonymous
  • | Post Points: 20
Top 10 Contributor
Male
Posts 2,814
Points 50,100
Moderator

xahrx:
when you wish for a privately owned super highway on the way home from work after being caught in Long Island traffic for more than two hours because some moron government cops decided to block all three lanes of traffic and lay down flares and leave their lights and sirens blaring as they proceeded to try and get a cat out of a tree on the side of the road.

Well what you didn't see were the grief counselors trying to reason with the cat and find out why it is in the tree.

'It is difficult to imagine any normal person wishing to meet Marx for a third time.' - Alexander Gray, The Socialist Tradition

  • | Post Points: 5
Top 10 Contributor
Male
Posts 2,814
Points 50,100
Moderator

I got a good one.

You know your an Austrian when you know the reason behind increased frisbee sales after an Austrian lecture on money.

'It is difficult to imagine any normal person wishing to meet Marx for a third time.' - Alexander Gray, The Socialist Tradition

  • | Post Points: 5
Top 50 Contributor
Posts 658
Points 17,300
eliotn replied on Wed, Oct 7 2009 9:08 AM

liberty student:
You can't stop saying gunverment

I need to say that more often.  Great pun Liberty Student.


Anyways, you know you're an Austrian when you don't confuse the FDA and voluntary consumer protection.

Schools are labour camps.

  • | Post Points: 5
Top 50 Contributor
Posts 658
Points 17,300
eliotn replied on Wed, Oct 7 2009 9:14 AM

Conza88:

You know you're an Austrian when... you realise markets don't fail, only governments do.

Actually, its when you realize that markets avoid failure, but that government cannot.

Schools are labour camps.

  • | Post Points: 20
Top 100 Contributor
Male
Posts 352
Points 6,830
Moderator

Your an Austrian whenever your here the acronym PDA you immediately think of  Private Defence Angency and not Personal Digital Assistant.

The atoms tell the atoms so, for I never was or will but atoms forevermore be.

Yours sincerely,

Physiocrat

  • | Post Points: 20
Top 500 Contributor
Male
Posts 55
Points 1,430

...when the conflation of Corporatism and free-enterprise makes your blood boil

  • | Post Points: 5
Page 2 of 3 (57 items) < Previous 1 2 3 Next > | RSS

Ludwig von Mises Institute | 518 West Magnolia Avenue | Auburn, Alabama 36832-4528

Phone: 334.321.2100 · Fax: 334.321.2119

contact@Mises.org | webmaster | AOL-IM MainMises

Mises.org sitemap