Albert O. Hirschman
German-American · 1915–2012
German-American economist and social theorist, known for his concepts of exit, voice, and loyalty, and for his nuanced analysis of economic development and political change.
Wikipedia ↗“The Hiding Hand principle suggests that ignorance of the difficulties ahead can be a blessing in disguise — people start projects they would never have begun had they known the full cost, and then find creative ways to overcome the unexpected obstacles.”
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“Having encountered serious problems and setbacks, I now know that these difficulties, which I would never have wished for and which my opponents foretold with much relish, were in fact essential to whatever success the project eventually achieved.”
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“The customer who, dissatisfied with the product of one firm, shifts to that of another, uses the market to defend his welfare or to improve his position; and he also sets in motion market forces which may induce recovery on the part of the firm that has declined. This is the exit option.”
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“Voice is political action par excellence. The decision to voice one's dissatisfaction rather than exit is the decision to attempt to change practices from within.”
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“There is a certain sterility in the manner of thinking that contrasts reform with revolution. In the first place, revolutionary change has often been preceded by attempts at reform. And second, reform can be so fundamental as to deserve being called revolutionary.”
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“Creativity always comes as a surprise to us; therefore we can never count on it and we dare not believe in it until it has happened.”
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“The rhetoric of reaction claims that any purposive action to improve the political, social, or economic order only serves to exacerbate the condition one wishes to remedy. This is the perversity thesis.”
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