I think the economists you are talking about become experts at some manageable and very small sub-segment of economic activity.  I am speaking more about those who are quick to analyze such things as the global stock markets and, years later, they are still &quot;CNBC contributors&quot; and not independently wealthy.<p>I always go back to when I read &quot;The Big Short&quot; and realized that ALL of these economists missed a herd of elephants in the room.  If I remember correctly, the two or three people who called it (and were yelling and screaming about the impending doom) and ultimately shorted the market and made truck-loads of money were not economists but rather intense observers and practitioners.  I think one of them had Aspergers (It&#x27;s been a few years since I read the book).