The Latest Breaking News from Thorstein Veblen

The rise of 'conspicuous waiting': The economic theory behind Gen Z's viral lines

Gen Z isn't just waiting in line. Thorstein Veblen would have recognized exactly what they're doing.

Fortune · Jul 31

People who want others to know they are wealthy often use these 8 everyday phrases

A single phrase doesn't reveal someone's character or financial situation. What matters more is the overall pattern, how frequently these comments are made, the reasons behind them, and the impact they have on others. It's this broader context that offers the most meaningful insight.

The Economic Times · Jul 29

In the age of AI, human creative output is becoming a luxury

Imagine two identical spoons. One is hand-wrought from silver by a skilled metalworker. The other, a base-metal facsimile, was mass-produced by a machine. Which would you value more? Most of us would say the handmade spoon.

The Conversation · May 5

Christmas consumption – what would the great economic philosophers think?

Even during a cost of living crisis, with interest rates and inflation high, the average spending per person for Christmas 2023 in the UK is expected to reach as much as £974. Retailers, advertisers and a sense of tradition continue to encourage us towards ever greater levels of consumption.

The Conversation · Dec 22, 2023

Vinyl record sales keep spinning and spinning – with no end in sight

Over the past decade, vinyl records have made a major comeback. People purchased US$1.2 billion of records in 2022, a 20% jump from the previous year.

The Conversation · Mar 13, 2023

‘Quiet quitters’ aren’t the problem. Save your ire for the ‘loud labourers’

You know the type. These people talk the talk – but for them, getting any actual work done is strictly an afterthought, says André Spicer of the Cass Business School at City, University of London

The Guardian - UK · Oct 5, 2022