• frog 🐸@beehaw.org
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    11 months ago

    I dunno, the dictionary definition of “idiot savant” includes this:

    a person who is highly knowledgeable about one subject but knows little about anything else

    And that does seem like an adequate description of this type of economist.

    • millie@beehaw.org
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      11 months ago

      Typically an idiot savant refers to someone who’s really talented in one particular area, but is otherwise impaired intellectually or socially. It’s a bit of an antiquated and ablist way to refer to savant syndrome. Usually the person in question has severe autism or some sort of neurodevelopmental disorder.

      Point being the person in question is typically dealing with a disability, not just like somebody kinda stupid who knows about one thing.

      • frog 🐸@beehaw.org
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        11 months ago

        Yeah, that definition is antequated and considered ableist, but the secondary definition in the dictionary is a more general term that refers to someone who is highly knowledgeable in one area while lacking understanding of many others, which does not have an ableist connotation and is still in usage in contexts like this article.

        • millie@beehaw.org
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          11 months ago

          I mean, it seems to me that using it derogatorily is at least equally out of touch. It’s a weird term to be using at all, but it’s definitely a weird term to be using to insult someone.

          • frog 🐸@beehaw.org
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            11 months ago

            I dunno, it makes sense to me? A savant is someone considered to be highly skilled, which generally comes with the assumption that they’re quite smart overall. Idiot savant (as separate from the “savant syndrome” definition) implies a savant who lacks that general level of intelligence, because they have focused so much on one subject area that they’ve sacrificed all understanding of any other subject area (most genuinely smart people have at least a baseline understanding of areas of study outside of their own). It may not be the most elegant way of describing such a person, but for an article headline, it’s short and to the point, conveying the right meaning in the fewest words possible.

      • frog 🐸@beehaw.org
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        11 months ago

        Germany honestly has the best words for everything. I love how you guys literally have a word for everything, including things we have to use a whole sentence for in English. 🙂

        • Elise@beehaw.org
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          11 months ago

          Do you know kummerspeck? It’s kinda like worrybacon, the pounds you put on after a bad period.

          • frog 🐸@beehaw.org
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            11 months ago

            I did not know of kummerspeck, but it’s an awesome word! Brushing up on my German is definitely on my to-do list. Learned it at school many years ago, and I’m pretty rusty now, but I’ve always loved it.

            • Elise@beehaw.org
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              11 months ago

              Weltschmerz - world pain It’s when you feel this deep nonspecific pain for the world.