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DIAMOND-WATER PARADOX: The perplexing observation that water, which is more useful than diamonds, has a lower price. If price is related to utility, how can this occur? This paradox was first proposed by classical economists in the 19th century and was subsequently used as a stepping stone for developing the notion of marginal utility and the role it plays in the demand price of a good. The paradox is magically cleared up with an understanding of marginal utility and total utility. People are willing to pay a higher price for goods with greater marginal utility. As such, water which is plentiful has enormous total utility, but a low price because of a low marginal utility. Diamonds, however, have less total utility because they are less plentiful, but a high price because of a high marginal utility.
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ASSUMPTIONS, CLASSICAL ECONOMICS Classical economics, especially as directed toward macroeconomics, relies on three key assumptions--flexible prices, Say's law, and saving-investment equality. Flexible prices ensure that markets adjust to equilibrium and eliminate shortages and surpluses. Say's law states that supply creates its own demand and means that enough income is generated by production to purchase the resulting production. The saving-investment equality ensures that any income leaked from consumption into saving is replaced by an equal amount of investment. Although of questionable realism, these three assumptions imply that the economy would operate at full employment.
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YELLOW CHIPPEROON
[What's This?]
Today, you are likely to spend a great deal of time waiting for visits from door-to-door solicitors hoping to buy either a pair of designer sunglasses or looseleaf notebook paper. Be on the lookout for letters from the Internal Revenue Service.
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This isn't me! What am I?
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A lump of pure gold the size of a matchbox can be flattened into a sheet the size of a tennis court!
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"When one door closes another door opens; but we do often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us. " -- Alexander Graham Bell, inventor
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NBV
Net Book Value
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