Becoming an Economist
Yesterday, on ABP News, I was introduced as an “economist” during a debate on fuel prices.
Over the years, TV shows and articles have called me many things: economics expert, trade expert, political expert, thinker, strategist, and occasionally things I myself didn’t fully understand. But “economist” was a first.
To be clear, I don’t have a formal degree in economics. I studied economics in school, took courses at IIT Madras, and later during my MBA at IIM Bangalore. But my real education came from curiosity. Economics has always been my first love. In many ways, it shaped how I think, work, and make decisions.
The funniest moment came later at home.
My daughter watched the show and asked very seriously:
“When did you become an economist?”
I had only one answer:
“Autodidact.”
Then I explained to her that some of the most important learning in life happens outside classrooms. You read, observe, argue, question, connect dots, and keep learning for years.
Honestly, I think everybody should learn economics. Not necessarily for exams or degrees, but to understand how the world actually works.
And if anyone wants to begin, there’s no better starting point than Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt.
One warning though: after reading it, you may never watch a debate the same way again.