Every field of study has its own language and its own way of thinking
Mathematicians talk aboutaxioms, integrals, and vector spaces
Psychologists talk about ego, id, and cognitive dissonance
Lawyers talk about venue, torts, and promissory estoppel
每个研究领域都有它自己的语言和思考方式
数学家谈论定理、积分以及向量空间
心理学家谈论自我、本能、以及认知的不一致性
律师谈论犯罪地点、侵权行为以及约定的禁止翻供
Economics is no different
Supply, demand, elasticity, comparative advantage, consumer surplus, deadweight loss —these terms are part of the economist’s language
In the coming chapters, you will encounter many new terms and some familiar words that economists use in specialized ways
At first, this new language may seem needlessly arcane
But, as you will see, its value lies in its ability to provide you a new and useful way of thinking about the world in whic