Madison Webster, Introduction, Question 7

When it comes to economics, I know very little. I was very hesitant coming into this class because I do not know much about the subject matter. After reading the introduction of Naked Economics, I discovered that I am not the only one. Wheelan comments that "...many intellectually curious people are missing a subject that is provocative, powerful, and highly relevant to almost every aspect of our lives" (xviii). This gives reason behind why economics is a required class at our school. Economics pertains to everyone, it is the way our society functions. "Economics should not be accessible only to the experts. The ideas are too important and too interesting" (xxv). It's interesting to me how little people know about economics. Even the presidents of the United States don't know every detail!

I learned that we must think beyond our personal selves and think of society as a whole. The actions that each person commits affects the world in some way. The example that Wheelan gave about "American lust for the automobile" (xxi), really caught my attention because it was something I could relate to. I drive my car everyday and the only thing I really think of is paying for gas. Maintenance and insurance don't even cross my mind, but they do cross my parent's minds. However, there are aspects that many people don't ever think about and those are "...the emissions we leave behind, the congestion we cause, the wear and tear on public roads, the danger we pose to drivers in smaller cars" (xxii). This introduction sparked my interest to read further into this book and learn more about the ignorance of humans.