Good day grizzled heroes and fair villains! As always it is an honor to make your acquaintance!
Today’s piece is referencing a lesson most of us are likely already familiar with. Unfortunately, (or not?), life doesn’t always mirror a working economic model. By which I mean input does not always equal output. Like all theoretical models, particularly in econ, there is small applicability to reality. There IS almost always a positive correlation, increased effort near always produces better results but that is far from assured. Since we’re already in the textbook, consider the idea of diseconomies of scale. This occurs when a firm becomes less efficient as it increases production. The additional costs incurred as the entity grows beyond optimal are known as diseconomies of scale. The end result being an increase in the LRAC (long run average cost). Fascinating, I know. A more human example (though not really a human thing… what’s the inverse of anthropomorphizing?) would be studying all night for an exam then sleeping through it.
While both of those examples are technically accurate, the point, (I think), I was trying to make was more along the lines of life is life and you have little control over just about anything external. So roll with the punches (all about proper footwork) and try to retain the thought that you can absolutely do everything right and still fall short and that’s totally cool.
“Leveling-Up”, May 18, 2018
Breakthroughs are never assured
Try to not be too perturbed
Effort’s prize is heightened chance
But serves only to enhance
Life offers no guarantees
Sees no evils, hears no pleas
Failure yet visits the right
Just another human plight
Never concede your desires
Guard roaring internal fires.
I called it leveling up because video games are like a perfect economic model in that you play, add proportional experience to your efforts and gain levels accordingly. Between that, excellent parenting, heroic fantasy and unrealistic expectations derived from fine schooling (I was an absurdly luckly child), I was a tad naive back in the day. Foolishly believing that right would triumph much of the time and those in need would be provided for somehow. Such hubris is for the young. And X-box live.
Thank you so much for reading as always. Apologies for the economic lecture. Tomorrow’s topic will be “Shocks to the LRAD/LRAS (long run aggregate demand/ supply) Curves”. Get there early. Seats will go fast.
-Alex Blaikie
Dread Poets Sobriety 
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