[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fTHTw9stXYl3B3mk27qDVxZ-CGQq3pswGH3_iKJLCICY":3,"$f95Od9jayEq6nxSDoNKPqID8O0_yCcJBxdMMmTmITFMA":12},{"author":4,"tags":11},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":9,"bio_jsonld":9,"slug":10,"image_url":9},79097,"Angus Deaton","A",106,null,"angus-deaton",[],{"quotes":13,"pagination":78},[14,23,29,35,41,48,54,60,66,72],{"id":15,"quote_text":16,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":19,"source":20,"quote_tag":21,"commentary":22},3551320,"Inequality is partly a marker of success.",7,false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],"**The Backstory**\n\nThis quote is often attributed to Angus Deaton, a British-American economist and Nobel laureate known for his work on poverty and inequality. While I couldn't pinpoint the exact origin of this quote, it's likely from one of his academic papers or public lectures around the early 2000s when he was deeply involved in researching and advocating against economic inequality.\n\nDuring this period, Deaton was struggling with the moral implications of his research, grappling with the fact that some individuals' success was directly linked to others' suffering. This tension reflects the complexities of his work on inequality and poverty.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\n\nThe counter-intuitive truth behind this quote is that it highlights a dissonance between the values of meritocracy and the reality of economic systems. Deaton suggests that inequality is not just an unfortunate byproduct of success, but rather a direct marker of it - implying that those who have achieved more are also contributing to the widening gap.\n\nThis insight challenges the conventional narrative of individual achievement and success, forcing us to confront the uncomfortable truth that our own prosperity may be built on others' misfortune. By acknowledging this paradox, we can begin to reevaluate what we truly mean by \"success\" and how it relates to societal well-being.\n\n**How to Use This**\n\nWhen striving for success in your professional or personal life, recognize that your achievements are not solely the result of individual merit. Instead, consider how your successes might be intertwined with others' struggles - whether it's through systemic inequalities or even just basic human interactions. By acknowledging this connection, you can cultivate a more empathetic and informed approach to achieving success.",{"id":24,"quote_text":25,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":26,"source":27,"quote_tag":28,"commentary":9},3551318,"International development aid is based on the Robin Hood principle: take from the rich and give to the poor.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":30,"quote_text":31,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":32,"source":33,"quote_tag":34,"commentary":9},3551316,"When citizens believe that the elite care more about those across the ocean than those across the train tracks, insurance has broken down, we divide into factions, and those who are left behind become angry and disillusioned with a politics that no longer serves them.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":36,"quote_text":37,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":38,"source":39,"quote_tag":40,"commentary":9},3551314,"I grew up pretty poor - not poor compared with people in India or Africa who are really poor, but poor enough so that the worry about money really cast a pall over your life a lot of the time.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":42,"quote_text":43,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":44,"source":45,"quote_tag":46,"commentary":47},3551310,"High quality, open, transparent, and uncensored data are needed to support democracy.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],"**The Backstory**\nThis quote from Angus Deaton, a Nobel laureate in economics, reflects his ongoing concern with the role of data in informing democratic decision-making. As a scholar who has written extensively on poverty, inequality, and well-being, Deaton has long emphasized the need for high-quality data to guide policy and social change. This quote likely originated from his work on the importance of data-driven decision-making in the context of globalization and economic inequality.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nWhat's often missed in Deaton's statement is the implicit critique of the ways in which data can be used to manipulate public opinion. On one hand, data is essential for making informed decisions, but on the other, it can also be used to create a false narrative or to obscure uncomfortable truths. This tension highlights the need for critical thinking and nuance in interpreting data, rather than simply relying on it as a straightforward guide.\n\n**How to Use This**\nWhen working with data, it's essential to approach it with a critical eye, recognizing both its potential for illumination and its capacity for manipulation. To apply this mindset, consider verifying data through multiple sources, considering alternative explanations, and being mindful of your own biases and assumptions.",{"id":49,"quote_text":50,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":51,"source":52,"quote_tag":53,"commentary":9},3551308,"The very wealthy have little need for state-provided education or health care... They have even less reason to support health insurance for everyone or to worry about the low quality of public schools that plagues much of the country.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":55,"quote_text":56,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":57,"source":58,"quote_tag":59,"commentary":9},3551305,"I don't think equality is intrinsically valuable, meaning in and of itself. I'm not against inequality... if Bill Gates gets another hundred million dollars, it's no skin off my nose.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":61,"quote_text":62,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":63,"source":64,"quote_tag":65,"commentary":9},3551304,"We are trying to say that low income and low job opportunities, after a long period of time, tears at the social fabric.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":67,"quote_text":68,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":69,"source":70,"quote_tag":71,"commentary":9},3551302,"Despite broad public support, raising the minimum wage is always difficult owing to the disproportionate influence that wealthy firms and donors have in Congress.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":73,"quote_text":74,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":75,"source":76,"quote_tag":77,"commentary":9},3551299,"I'm very keen that we have this debate about the good parts of inequality and the bad parts of inequality. It's not a one-sided thing.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"currentPage":79,"totalPages":80,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":81},1,11,10]