In today's complex world, I understand that an understanding of economics is not only vital for making financial decisions or management, but also a lens through which to view the world. . What makes economics most interesting to me is the interaction of two seemingly contradictory ideas: logical reasoning and inherent uncertainty. By participating in weekly meet-the-people sessions, a platform for residents to voice their concerns to MPs, I drafted petition letters to government agencies based on residents' needs and concerns. It opened my eyes to the wealth disparity in Singapore and made me think about the irrationality of decisions made by the poor – choosing to buy cigarettes over food, for example. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay These arguably prevent them from maximizing their long-term well-being and further entrench them in the cycle of poverty. This prompted me to read “Poor Economics” by Banerjee and Duflo, which posits that the poor are often imperfect decision-making agents for reasons beyond affordability. I realized that poverty is the result not only of multifaceted economic problems, such as different opportunities due to socio-economic status, but also of innate human behaviors. Such exposure led me to question the conventional theory of rational decision-making and inspired me to expand my knowledge by exploring beyond my school curricula. “Animal Spirits” by Akerlof and Shiller introduced me to the field of behavioral economics. They argue that while animal spirits (driven by human psychology) could destabilize markets and cause economic unrest, such human emotions can and should be harnessed by governments to promote entrepreneurship and healthy capitalism. In doing so, governments should play a disciplinary role in stabilizing markets through policymaking. However, I think such a vision is too idealistic. Although we understand that these animal spirits are important in markets, governments often struggle to translate this knowledge into actions precisely because of the unpredictable nature of these human perceptions and emotions. Nevertheless, this book helped me better appreciate the contrast - and the reasons behind it - between purely theoretical models and their real-world applications. I have a strong interest in mathematics and derive satisfaction from solving problems using logical and critical approaches. I am intrigued by how mathematics can be applied to economics – to model and quantify real-world phenomena. Through TED talks, I discovered game theory through the Prisoner's Dilemma and was intrigued by its relevance in real-world situations, for example how oligopolies use it to anticipate the actions of competitors and choosing pricing and non-pricing strategies. I was also fascinated by Elinor Ostrom's “Governing the Commons,” which applies game theory to explain the dominant strategy of economic agents and to evaluate how best to manage common resources. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper now from our expert writers.Get a custom essayThrough this, I have witnessed how mathematics can..