The power of assumptions

Yesh, i am on the verge of hanging myself trying to finish my last essay for my whole academic life! I was reading this book, it's called Economic methodology and funny how the author included a joke under the footnote. But the joke is really funny, and yesh it might only be seen as hysterical to the economist! cause i tried it on Fidah, it didn't work :S she went huh? So strap on your funny belt people!

The joke was widely disseminated in universities all over the world! awu Banar di UK, di US, d Thailand! and ani me mau disseminated di Brunei. Tani mana buleh ketinggalam joke cani cani kan. I feel the joke is useful in understanding the need of assumptions, disregarding the realism of it. You see, economist 'assume' a lot and it becomes a joke to other field of academics. When this joke popped up, i realise i can twist it to a point that it becomes highly relevant on how important it is to make assumption, to make a simplified end.

Here it is:

“An economist, an engineer, and a chemist were stranded bah sama sama di pulau pilung-pilungan. Sekali inda tia ada makanan, kecuali yang ada satu tin basar ayam Sabli . Tapi masalah nya...nada bah pembuka tin! Cana tah kan tu membuka. Sekali, after various unsuccessful exercises in applied science by the engineer and the chemist aimed at opening the tin, but sadly unable to do so. Lapar tia dorang ani, kriuk kriuk parut dorang. Kan di gigit tin atu, karang sumbing gigi pulang tah nada dentist antara dorang tiga ani hahaha *atu me ketawa tu*. Bepikir dorang kan, eh si economist ani inda lapar kah. So, dorang tulih arah si economist ani who all the while had been wearing a superior smile, looking smart and intensely thinking, ‘Eh jubur, kalo ko apa ko buat?? kami ani dari tadi udah mencuba pakai skill kami ani, ko alum tah menulung nulung. Cuba dehhhh’. *melandih nyamuuu~*

Sekali di jawab nya tia dengan tone yand sedap, ‘Me~~

?

Masa ani me meng- ASSUME tani ada can-opener’

hahahahaha cali cali~~

I thought it was really clever and funny! but i guess you don't ya?

Anywhooo,

Ani nah yang apa me dapat pelajari...

This is one joke that in a way help explain the importance of assumptions, whether it is realistic or unrealistic. It is however unrealistic to assume that there was a tin-opener, simply because there was not. However, the assumption itself provides many answers which can be answered only through the imaginative power.

My point being is that the economist made a contribution on a future oriented way. The notion that the economist made the assumption entails a great deal of prediction. What happens if we had a can-opener, it will be opened and shared. Rhetorical questions will arise, whether it would suffice for three? Would it be each ones favorite? Would one maximize utility by ‘killing’ the other two? Banar jua kan, all these can be written as what will happen and be prepared for the rainy and desperate days.

In a nutshell~ Assumption is important lah to compact the dynamic and to make possible of the impossible. It provides imaginative answers that yet to be tested but powerful enough to provide answer for economist. Therefore, assumptions are important for prediction and shaping a theory, which may not even have to be tested for realism

So, i hope my lecturer like the idea :S otherwise...Adui...

p/s My beloved course mates, please cite me if you wish to 'borrow' the idea, Thank you!

Signing out,

Modern Economist.