“There’s a man with a beard! Driving a truck and raising hell!”

It was nearly midnight on Halloween not long ago when I heard a tipsy dude holler the above in my general direction. I do, indeed, sport a beard. I was also driving my truck through downtown Greenville, SC (#yeahTHATgreenville). The final part was his assumption.

Beards generally conjure such thoughts: outdoorsmanship, a burly personality, rugged manliness, etc.

On the other hand, what comes to mind when you think of an economist? Probably a nerdy, bean-counting type of person waxing eloquent in undecipherable gibberish on C-Span.

So the title “Bearded Economist” probably sounds like a bit of a paradox. But does it have to be? Must a person choose between a life of mountain-man virility or smooth-palmed intelligence? Why not both?

This blog is about that life. Of course, everyone will have a bit of both, and we all lean one way or the other. But if you tend to be more of a studious bookworm, why not thicken the calluses on your hands with a few nights exploring the coast in a small boat? Maybe you’re as at home pouring concrete as you are waking up along side a misty mountain stream in pursuit of elk. Can you articulate the theory of value held by your favorite political candidate?

We all long for more adventure; to see the setting sun fling warm colors across an untouched topography; to feel the electrified gusts of a storm rolling over ocean swells broken by a barrier island; to hear a wary gobbler’s thunderous call on a crisp Spring dawn. So a blog about outdoor pursuits is obvious, but why economics? Why not “The Bearded Accountant” or “The Bearded Biologist?”

Less people are living lives near nature, and such unfamiliarity has bred more attacks on responsible hunting than ever before. Similarly, but with even greater consequence, the riptide of economic illiteracy has popularized egregious ideas that have swept so many people out to a sea of contradiction, confusion, and idiocracy. Seriously, try to engage in a reasonable conversation on Facebook. Good luck. Objective truth lies seemingly out of reach of both the “orange man bad” and “‘Merica first” crowds.

Throughout my post-elementary education I was required to take 12 semesters of English through high school, and three or four more while majoring in Business Administration in college. In contrast, we were taught 1/2 semester of economics (we split the time between economics and PE) in high school, and I was blessed by two semesters in college. I hear they have since reduced economics to one semester where I attended. I’m not suggesting that people need to study less English (it’s bad enough out there), but look at the disparity. With six years of study, the average person still struggles to string together a legible Tweet. Now try discussing the impact of minimum wage policy on illegal immigration (for example) with these people! The best they can usually do is parrot a few lines they heard on Fox News or CNN.

The pen truly is mightier than the sword because every act of force is merely the implementation of an idea. Ideas spawn success or failure, prosperity or poverty, life or death. So let’s promote a better world with skill-sharpened swords and inkwells filled with truth. Live the life of a Bearded Economist!