Skip to content
By using Twitter’s services you agree to our Cookies Use. We and our partners operate globally and use cookies, including for analytics, personalisation, and ads.
  • Home Home Home, current page.
  • About

Saved searches

  • Remove
  • In this conversation
    Verified accountProtected Tweets @
Suggested users
  • Verified accountProtected Tweets @
  • Verified accountProtected Tweets @
  • Language: English
    • Bahasa Indonesia
    • Bahasa Melayu
    • Català
    • Čeština
    • Dansk
    • Deutsch
    • English UK
    • Español
    • Filipino
    • Français
    • Hrvatski
    • Italiano
    • Magyar
    • Nederlands
    • Norsk
    • Polski
    • Português
    • Română
    • Slovenčina
    • Suomi
    • Svenska
    • Tiếng Việt
    • Türkçe
    • Ελληνικά
    • Български език
    • Русский
    • Српски
    • Українська мова
    • עִבְרִית
    • العربية
    • فارسی
    • मराठी
    • हिन्दी
    • বাংলা
    • ગુજરાતી
    • தமிழ்
    • ಕನ್ನಡ
    • ภาษาไทย
    • 한국어
    • 日本語
    • 简体中文
    • 繁體中文
  • Have an account? Log in
    Have an account?
    · Forgot password?

    New to Twitter?
    Sign up
sapinker's profile
Steven Pinker
Steven Pinker
Steven Pinker
Verified account
@sapinker

Tweets

Steven PinkerVerified account

@sapinker

Cognitive scientist at Harvard.

Boston, MA
pinker.wjh.harvard.edu
Joined January 2010

Tweets

  • © 2018 Twitter
  • About
  • Help Center
  • Terms
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies
  • Ads info
Dismiss
Previous
Next

Go to a person's profile

Saved searches

  • Remove
  • In this conversation
    Verified accountProtected Tweets @
Suggested users
  • Verified accountProtected Tweets @
  • Verified accountProtected Tweets @

Promote this Tweet

Block

  • Tweet with a location

    You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more

    Your lists

    Create a new list


    Under 100 characters, optional

    Privacy

    Copy link to Tweet

    Embed this Tweet

    Embed this Video

    Add this Tweet to your website by copying the code below. Learn more

    Add this video to your website by copying the code below. Learn more

    Hmm, there was a problem reaching the server.

    By embedding Twitter content in your website or app, you are agreeing to the Twitter Developer Agreement and Developer Policy.

    Preview

    Why you're seeing this ad

    Log in to Twitter

    · Forgot password?
    Don't have an account? Sign up »

    Sign up for Twitter

    Not on Twitter? Sign up, tune into the things you care about, and get updates as they happen.

    Sign up
    Have an account? Log in »

    Two-way (sending and receiving) short codes:

    Country Code For customers of
    United States 40404 (any)
    Canada 21212 (any)
    United Kingdom 86444 Vodafone, Orange, 3, O2
    Brazil 40404 Nextel, TIM
    Haiti 40404 Digicel, Voila
    Ireland 51210 Vodafone, O2
    India 53000 Bharti Airtel, Videocon, Reliance
    Indonesia 89887 AXIS, 3, Telkomsel, Indosat, XL Axiata
    Italy 4880804 Wind
    3424486444 Vodafone
    » See SMS short codes for other countries

    Confirmation

     

    Welcome home!

    This timeline is where you’ll spend most of your time, getting instant updates about what matters to you.

    Tweets not working for you?

    Hover over the profile pic and click the Following button to unfollow any account.

    Say a lot with a little

    When you see a Tweet you love, tap the heart — it lets the person who wrote it know you shared the love.

    Spread the word

    The fastest way to share someone else’s Tweet with your followers is with a Retweet. Tap the icon to send it instantly.

    Join the conversation

    Add your thoughts about any Tweet with a Reply. Find a topic you’re passionate about, and jump right in.

    Learn the latest

    Get instant insight into what people are talking about now.

    Get more of what you love

    Follow more accounts to get instant updates about topics you care about.

    Find what's happening

    See the latest conversations about any topic instantly.

    Never miss a Moment

    Catch up instantly on the best stories happening as they unfold.

    Steven Pinker‏Verified account @sapinker Sep 23

    "Often mistaken, never in doubt." Like Paul Ehrlich, Joseph Stiglitz is unrepentant about spectacularly wrong predictions, yet continues to be treated as an oracle. Gene Epstein tells the story.https://www.city-journal.org/joseph-stiglitz-venezuela-16181.html …

    6:22 AM - 23 Sep 2018
    • 507 Retweets
    • 1,310 Likes
    • Dave Aaron Odom Fantô Toby Watson Todd Gunther Zeemo Leonardo Martins Bert Brijs Tolstoyevsky
    76 replies 507 retweets 1,310 likes
      1. New conversation
      2. David Garner‏ @phloxyd Sep 23
        Replying to @sapinker

        You're right of course. But economics isn't a science, like (say) psychology or linguistics. So predictions, schmedictions.

        1 reply 0 retweets 4 likes
      3. Will‏ @_willish Sep 23
        Replying to @phloxyd @sapinker

        The problem is that practitioners of economics are treated like scientists, despite the lack of empiricism & falsifiability of their opinions. They are given Nobel prizes and social prestige instead of being ridiculed like the astrologers they are 🤣

        3 replies 0 retweets 22 likes
      4. Sebastian Correa‏ @sebaseba8 Sep 23
        Replying to @_willish @phloxyd @sapinker

        Economics in general is a sham no matter if you are right wing or left wing. It’s a bunch of people taking stabs in the dark trying to make sense of a complex system that is the economy. All economists have failed predictions. Their assumptions of rationality are silly

        1 reply 0 retweets 3 likes
      5. Benjamin Slater‏ @ben_made_new Sep 23
        Replying to @sebaseba8 @_willish and

        Exception: the Austrians, as far as acknowledging complexity "However one twists things, one will never succeed in formulating the notion of 'irrational' action whose 'irrationality' is not founded upon an arbitrary judgment of value." L. Von Mises

        1 reply 0 retweets 5 likes
      6. Sebastian Correa‏ @sebaseba8 Sep 23
        Replying to @ben_made_new @_willish and

        The Austrians are loons. Where they are nuanced in some areas they also commit egregious errors both on human nature and on the sanctity and effectiveness of the free market as some panacea. They are too idealistic yet they dress themselves as objective observers.

        1 reply 0 retweets 3 likes
      7. Benjamin Slater‏ @ben_made_new Sep 23
        Replying to @sebaseba8 @_willish and

        That's a fair attack, but I don't hear anyone claiming to hold the keys to a utopia, though they may come across that way at times.

        2 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
      8. Benjamin Slater‏ @ben_made_new Sep 23
        Replying to @ben_made_new @sebaseba8 and

        My point is, and I think you'll agree, they are the ones making the least claims about how to best orchestrate some kind of perfect system, to their credit.

        2 replies 0 retweets 3 likes
      9. Sebastian Correa‏ @sebaseba8 Sep 23
        Replying to @ben_made_new @_willish and

        I don’t think that’s correct. During my economics degree, I read plenty of Austrian theorists (believe it or not higher level Econ classes give you many perspectives yet conservatives think that’s not the case) and they go off the rails with how benevolent and perfect the FM is

        1 reply 0 retweets 0 likes
      10. 3 more replies
      1. New conversation
      2. eugone2‏ @eugone2 Sep 23
        Replying to @sapinker @benshapiro

        You can add Paul Krugman to the list.

        3 replies 0 retweets 28 likes
      3. old crankygamer‏ @old_crankygamer Sep 26
        Replying to @eugone2 @sapinker @benshapiro

        Steiglitz was his idol, so that makes perfect sense.

        0 replies 0 retweets 2 likes
      4. End of conversation
      1. New conversation
      2. Dina D. Pomeranz‏ @DinaPomeranz Sep 23
        Replying to @sapinker

        It's unfortunte that you, as a scientist, are choosing to support ideologial turf wars rather than the search for evidence and insights.

        1 reply 0 retweets 16 likes
      3. 1 more reply
      1. Ryan Murphy‏ @ryanhmurphy Sep 23
        Replying to @sapinker

        The "government failures" are references to public choice theory, which you have previously insinuated is ideologically motivated. It's why many are skeptical of regulation. Maybe something instead to seriously consider?

        0 replies 0 retweets 5 likes
        Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. Undo
        Undo
      1. New conversation
      2. FerdRoseboom‏ @FerdRoseboom Sep 23
        Replying to @sapinker

        Reminds me how a psychologist managed to win a Nobel Prize in economics. I'm referring to Daniel Kahneman, author of 'Thinking, Fast and Slow.

        1 reply 0 retweets 1 like
      3. Troy Blackford‏ @TBlackford3 Sep 23
        Replying to @FerdRoseboom @sapinker

        Notably, he did so by assaulting the "rational actors" assumption at the foundation of most economic theories! I'm really glad we live in a world with scientists like Dr. K.

        1 reply 0 retweets 4 likes
      4. FerdRoseboom‏ @FerdRoseboom Sep 23
        Replying to @TBlackford3 @sapinker

        Assaulting? What’s with the allusion to combat—-are the sciences, academia, civil discourse a bit too dry for you or are you an avid gamer? I wonder if Hanlon’s Razor has anything to do with this trend.

        3 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
      5. Troy Blackford‏ @TBlackford3 Sep 23
        Replying to @FerdRoseboom @sapinker

        Unless you're just being silly and I didn't pick up on it, in which case just chalk it up to the internet.

        1 reply 0 retweets 0 likes
      6. FerdRoseboom‏ @FerdRoseboom Sep 23
        Replying to @TBlackford3 @sapinker

        I’m wondering if you’re referring to flaming and trolling so prevalent online.

        1 reply 0 retweets 0 likes
      7. Troy Blackford‏ @TBlackford3 Sep 23
        Replying to @FerdRoseboom @sapinker

        I just meant how hard it is to detect any amount of sarcasm. If you were jokingly asking if I said "assault on the rational actor model" because science bored me without adding "video game" elements, it's (kind of) funny. If you meant it seriously, it's very odd and insulting.

        1 reply 1 retweet 2 likes
      8. FerdRoseboom‏ @FerdRoseboom Sep 24
        Replying to @TBlackford3 @sapinker

        | "...how hard it is to detect any amount of sarcasm. " Well, obviously not as hard as determining it's source. What do you find odd and insulting about speculating that gamer culture or online trolling may have influenced your allusion?

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
      9. End of conversation

    Loading seems to be taking a while.

    Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.

      Promoted Tweet

      false

      • © 2018 Twitter
      • About
      • Help Center
      • Terms
      • Privacy policy
      • Cookies
      • Ads info