factual

Any Result Follows From Chosen Assumptions

For almost any result that doesn't rely on a logical contradiction, you can reverse-engineer a set of assumptions that will produce it; this 'theoretical cherry-picking' means a model matching a desired result tells you nothing about whether its assumptions are true.

factualpending

Speaker

Paul Pfleiderer

Evidence Quote

I think almost any result that doesn't rely on a logical contradiction, you can make a certain set of assumptions that will give rise to that.

Source

Paul Pfleiderer on the Misuse of Economic ModelsEconTalk
Created: 6/13/2026, 12:27:00 AM

My Notes

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