December 1, 2011

The Most Talented Speakers Often Have Nothing Worth Saying

Vernon Smith, Nobel-Prize Winning Economist, on economist Irving Fisher; December 2011 issue of Reason Magazine
"Fisher was a very clear writer. I remember a student once asked Leontief in class why there was no school of economics built around Fisher. And Leontief said: Well, it's because he wrote so clearly - everyone could understand what he was saying." 
This is a powerful truth. Because all too often, the most brilliant people are poor communicators. And the most talented speakers have nothing to say.

But, to be both? Those are the individuals who will change the world, because they are the only ones the world can understand.

Instead, we take the "intellectual giants" and read their books over and over again, confusing their lack of brevity for brilliance.
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