I'm surprised you didn't mention the political angle. I know you've had political battles at Mason (including recently), but your school has many more dissident intellectuals than the typical top tier school, and I imagine that's given you some breathing space. How long did Ilya Shapiro last at Georgetown?
When I went into "professor of practice" teaching after my career, I had several offers from name schools, but picked the business school of a big, unprestigious non-flagship state U in a deep red state. There were a number of factors, but the quest to not have to hide my conservative/ libertarian orientation was the biggest attraction. And it's been great.
Anyway, it looks to me that the "prestige" rankings may be reconfiguring as we speak.
I am in a different field and it is remarkably similar. The work that the people do at the top schools isn't important so much as it is a more elaborate showing off of a particular kind of intelligence.
You drop a lot of truth-bombs here, but I admit that my favorite bit is your inspirational call at the end: "Today is the first day of the rest of your career. Why not chuck conventional standards and start doing research that really matters to you and the world?"
I wish more people would adopt the Bet On It norm. If your work really is better, it should be able to better predict the world, and you'd be able to better win bets. If their work is better, they could better predict the world, and they could win more bets.
"I deem dozens of my blog posts to be more valuable intellectual contributions than the typical article published in top social science journals." I don't doubt it. There are many truly excellent blog posts from a number of writers and they clearly have far more value than the vast majority of academic papers in economics, philosophy, politics, and other areas.
When I wrote my doctoral dissertation, I grappled with big issues -- what is death? under what conditions do you continue despite great change? What are the implications for using technology to augment ourselves -- but very little of philosophy deals with things that matter.
I loved economics when I was a young man but choose not to specialize in it for a reason you mention -- what was favored were complex math models that didn't tell you anything useful.
Given your economic perspective, I think you ended up at exactly the right university. And as a psychologist, I have found your writing to be infinitely more relevant and interesting than that from mainstream economists. I agree that many of your blog posts are more valuable than the drivel from researchers at the "top" universities.
To thine own self be true! A secret if not the secret to a happy and successful life is to know one's self. Jealousy, envy emanates from one not knowing their essential self. Seems you do and that is terrific and your genuineness comes through in your work even if i disagree with some of it from time to time.
An obvious question you've left unanswered is why you, with an Econ PhD from Princeton, weren't offered a faculty position at an elite university. Do you think it was because the tenor of your published work went outside the bounds of what was deemed to be respectable opinion?
I am a kindred spirit of sorts. Here's the nub of it: at the age of 31, after years of underachievement that began when I was in 8th grade -- partially but insufficiently offset by high standardized-test scores -- I told a sister who was then in medical school at Yale about certain peculiar symptoms (cataplexy and hypnagogic hallucinations) I had recently experienced, and she advised me to consult a pioneer sleep-disorder specialist at Montefiore Hospital. I did so, and the diagnosis was narcolepsy, confirmed by a test that detected REM immediately after onset of sleep. I learned that narcoleptic lethargy typically sets in during early adolescence (aha!), which assuaged my diminished self-esteem. The doctor prescribed a slow-acting stimulant that I took every morning, which greatly improved my ability to sustain concentration, enabling me to read more than a few pages without dozing off, for instance. At that point my career credentials, which included graduation with high class rank from a middling law school and five years of mundane civil-service employment, were pretty well locked in, but my father, who was a USSteel executive, twisted arms to obtain an offer of employment for me in that firm's legal department. I turned the offer down, however, because, lacking confidence that my improved capability would be lasting, I preferred the security of civil service employment to the uncertain risk and opportunity of the offered private-sector position. I hoped, however, that by bringing my upgraded capability to bear in my current position I would win due recognition from my superiors and eventually rise to a high level in the agency where I was employed (the FCC). That hope proved to be delusional. Instead, I became a black sheep, for reasons that would not surprise you. I was eventually promoted to the top General Schedule pay grade (GS-15) but had a mark of Cain on me that precluded assignment to any supervisory or high-level advisory position. I retired ten years ago at age 68.
George Mason may be a mid-ranked university in some circles, but consider who is doing the ranking. I for one do not accept the ranking; after all, Tyler Cowan and Bryan Caplan make the ranking dubious at best.
I work at a no-rank campus of a fine university. My students are the reason why. I've read the work of the so-called stars of economics, past and present. Like you, I say "so what" about the work of most living economists. So far as I can tell, there may be one or two journal articles that need to be published in economics each year. The rest are definitely "so what" research that serves but one purpose, my opinion, which matters not at all.
I read the essays and books of four living economists and one G.O.A.T., now long gone, who are truly shining lights in the pretentious world of professional economics. You are one of them. Keep writing about questions that matter. Keep the candle burning.
Being a dissident means being someone who thinks out of the box, and finding that life within the box is a form of slavery masquerading as freedom. If it interests you I will share with you the real secret to our slavery and the way out.
I would believe you more if you told us that you chose GMU over other more prestigious institutions because you wanted to be able to do what you do. Otherwise, it does not sound so much like sour grapes as it does rationalization. (I say this as someone in a similar position!) After all, as you note, once an individual has tenure they can flout convention and pursue pet topics or write blog posts or books as they desire. So why not be at a top ten school and the freedom and $$ that confers (if not in salary than in other luxuries) and have that freedom?
I'm surprised you didn't mention the political angle. I know you've had political battles at Mason (including recently), but your school has many more dissident intellectuals than the typical top tier school, and I imagine that's given you some breathing space. How long did Ilya Shapiro last at Georgetown?
When I went into "professor of practice" teaching after my career, I had several offers from name schools, but picked the business school of a big, unprestigious non-flagship state U in a deep red state. There were a number of factors, but the quest to not have to hide my conservative/ libertarian orientation was the biggest attraction. And it's been great.
Anyway, it looks to me that the "prestige" rankings may be reconfiguring as we speak.
I am in a different field and it is remarkably similar. The work that the people do at the top schools isn't important so much as it is a more elaborate showing off of a particular kind of intelligence.
So hubristic, yet I like what you write a lot... so there must be some truth to it !
You drop a lot of truth-bombs here, but I admit that my favorite bit is your inspirational call at the end: "Today is the first day of the rest of your career. Why not chuck conventional standards and start doing research that really matters to you and the world?"
In my field getting published in top journals is mostly a matter of writing papers that no one can reasonably reject.
I wish more people would adopt the Bet On It norm. If your work really is better, it should be able to better predict the world, and you'd be able to better win bets. If their work is better, they could better predict the world, and they could win more bets.
"I deem dozens of my blog posts to be more valuable intellectual contributions than the typical article published in top social science journals." I don't doubt it. There are many truly excellent blog posts from a number of writers and they clearly have far more value than the vast majority of academic papers in economics, philosophy, politics, and other areas.
When I wrote my doctoral dissertation, I grappled with big issues -- what is death? under what conditions do you continue despite great change? What are the implications for using technology to augment ourselves -- but very little of philosophy deals with things that matter.
I loved economics when I was a young man but choose not to specialize in it for a reason you mention -- what was favored were complex math models that didn't tell you anything useful.
Given your economic perspective, I think you ended up at exactly the right university. And as a psychologist, I have found your writing to be infinitely more relevant and interesting than that from mainstream economists. I agree that many of your blog posts are more valuable than the drivel from researchers at the "top" universities.
I read your daily musings and enjoy them. But Call It Sour Grapes gave me a good laugh. Thank you for all your "daydreaming," Bryan.
To thine own self be true! A secret if not the secret to a happy and successful life is to know one's self. Jealousy, envy emanates from one not knowing their essential self. Seems you do and that is terrific and your genuineness comes through in your work even if i disagree with some of it from time to time.
An obvious question you've left unanswered is why you, with an Econ PhD from Princeton, weren't offered a faculty position at an elite university. Do you think it was because the tenor of your published work went outside the bounds of what was deemed to be respectable opinion?
I am a kindred spirit of sorts. Here's the nub of it: at the age of 31, after years of underachievement that began when I was in 8th grade -- partially but insufficiently offset by high standardized-test scores -- I told a sister who was then in medical school at Yale about certain peculiar symptoms (cataplexy and hypnagogic hallucinations) I had recently experienced, and she advised me to consult a pioneer sleep-disorder specialist at Montefiore Hospital. I did so, and the diagnosis was narcolepsy, confirmed by a test that detected REM immediately after onset of sleep. I learned that narcoleptic lethargy typically sets in during early adolescence (aha!), which assuaged my diminished self-esteem. The doctor prescribed a slow-acting stimulant that I took every morning, which greatly improved my ability to sustain concentration, enabling me to read more than a few pages without dozing off, for instance. At that point my career credentials, which included graduation with high class rank from a middling law school and five years of mundane civil-service employment, were pretty well locked in, but my father, who was a USSteel executive, twisted arms to obtain an offer of employment for me in that firm's legal department. I turned the offer down, however, because, lacking confidence that my improved capability would be lasting, I preferred the security of civil service employment to the uncertain risk and opportunity of the offered private-sector position. I hoped, however, that by bringing my upgraded capability to bear in my current position I would win due recognition from my superiors and eventually rise to a high level in the agency where I was employed (the FCC). That hope proved to be delusional. Instead, I became a black sheep, for reasons that would not surprise you. I was eventually promoted to the top General Schedule pay grade (GS-15) but had a mark of Cain on me that precluded assignment to any supervisory or high-level advisory position. I retired ten years ago at age 68.
congradulations bro so happy for you
George Mason may be a mid-ranked university in some circles, but consider who is doing the ranking. I for one do not accept the ranking; after all, Tyler Cowan and Bryan Caplan make the ranking dubious at best.
I work at a no-rank campus of a fine university. My students are the reason why. I've read the work of the so-called stars of economics, past and present. Like you, I say "so what" about the work of most living economists. So far as I can tell, there may be one or two journal articles that need to be published in economics each year. The rest are definitely "so what" research that serves but one purpose, my opinion, which matters not at all.
I read the essays and books of four living economists and one G.O.A.T., now long gone, who are truly shining lights in the pretentious world of professional economics. You are one of them. Keep writing about questions that matter. Keep the candle burning.
Being a dissident means being someone who thinks out of the box, and finding that life within the box is a form of slavery masquerading as freedom. If it interests you I will share with you the real secret to our slavery and the way out.
There's more to a position than talent; like-mindedness is the most desirable trait.
I would believe you more if you told us that you chose GMU over other more prestigious institutions because you wanted to be able to do what you do. Otherwise, it does not sound so much like sour grapes as it does rationalization. (I say this as someone in a similar position!) After all, as you note, once an individual has tenure they can flout convention and pursue pet topics or write blog posts or books as they desire. So why not be at a top ten school and the freedom and $$ that confers (if not in salary than in other luxuries) and have that freedom?