Sophie Gunderson, Chapter 9, Question 7

Before reading Chapter 9 of Naked Economics, I would not have been able to confidently explain what GDP is. Although I knew it existed and was related to the economy, nobody ever explained to me what it was and I never thought to ask. After reading about it extensively, I find it extremely interesting. I am a very big math person so I like the idea of thinking logically and looking at things from a logical perspective like how the GDP is calculated. However, Charles Wheelan pointed out how GDP only looks at things from a numerical and financial perspective. It tends to leave out the happiness of the citizens, the environmental outcomes that the growth effected, and many more factors. This made me consider how many things can be left out of many ideas in life when I look at it from just a logical or numerical perspective. Overall, this chapter made me realize that stepping back and taking into consideration the different factors on a seemingly simple answer is incredibly important and essential.