Aggressive Quote by John Kenneth Galbraith
“The shortcomings of economics are not original error but uncorrected obsolescence. The obsolescence has occurred because what is convenient has become sacrosanct. Anyone who attacks such ideas must seem to be a trifle self-confident and even aggressive. The man who makes his entry by leaning against an infirm door gets an unjustified reputation for violence. Something is to be attributed to the poor state of the door.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Affluent Society, John Kenneth Galbraith, 1958
Economic ideas become outdated when convenience is treated as truth, and critics are dismissed as arrogant.
In simple terms: Convenient ideas become dogma; critics are unfairly labeled.
Key Takeaway
Question and update entrenched ideas.
Themes
economics
dogma
criticism
change
authority
Mood
frustrated
critical
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- policy reform
- academic debate
- public discourse
Key Concepts
institutional inertia
cognitive bias
social pressure
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we recognize when convenience overrides truth?
- What mechanisms can protect critique from being dismissed?
A Different Perspective
Ideas may persist despite evidence of failure.
