Economics is the only field in which two people can get a Nobel Prize for saying exactly the opposite thing.

A humorous remark about economics pointing out that economists can reach sharply conflicting conclusions and still be highly rewarded. It is often linked in spirit to the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, especially cases where laureates are seen as representing opposing schools of thought.

The quip suggests that economics lacks the kind of definitive, consensus-building results people expect from the natural sciences, so contradictory claims can both be treated as prizeworthy. It’s a jab at the discipline’s internal disagreements and the difficulty of settling debates with decisive evidence.

Economics is the only field in which two people can share a Nobel Prize for saying opposing things.

Economics is the only field in which two people can get a Nobel Prize for saying exactly the opposite thing.