Source: Bet On It
by Bryan Caplan
“Can I really derive any deep lesson about the human condition from truisms about Social Desirability Bias? Strangely, yes. To repeat, the lessons of Social Desirability Bias are twofold. First: When you spend your own time and money, actions speak louder than words. Second, when you spend other people’s time and money, words speak louder than actions. Now consider: If everyone spends only their own time and their own money, what do we call it? Among other things, ‘the free market.’ What about when people spend other people’s time and money? Among other things, ‘government.'” (04/29/25)
https://www.betonit.ai/p/capitalism-socialism-and-social-desirability