I am a new super fan of John Lanchester, a British writer who The Economist rightly described as a “down-to-earth and witty guide to the most complicated ideas of our time.” I’m on Team Lanchester both because he is funny in a droll Maggie Smith kind of way that reminds me of my mother and thoughtful. He helped me think through something I have not given an iota of consideration to: how we decide who gets what in the US (aka The Consumer Price Index).
Here are my takeaways from my conversation with John Lanchester…
What a government counts is what a government values. Same with people.
It’s almost easier to list the things that the CPI doesn’t affect than the things it does.
If you want to predict the election, look to the misery index.
When political arguments are decided by identity, facts have lost all impact.
We desperately need smart civics education.
Listen for “the note behind the note.”
Happiness surveys are notoriously unreliable
Unless the end of the sentence is you’re brilliant, beautiful and kind, best not to tee up a comment with, “The thing about you is...”.
Language inflation is real and John Lanchester is offended by it.
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