"At the same time it offered the hope, as it still does, that improved understanding could better the lot of mankind. For me, growing up in the 1930s, the two motivations powerfully reinforced each other"

This quote by James Tobin speaks with the power of knowledge and understanding. He reviews his youth in the 1930s, when he was exposed to the idea that knowledge might be used to improve the lives of individuals. He saw that knowledge might be used to create a better future, and this idea gave him hope. He likewise saw that understanding might be used to fix issues and develop a much better world. This idea of using knowledge to enhance the lives of people was a powerful incentive for him. He thought that understanding could be used to create a much better future, and this concept of hope and understanding was an effective force in his life. He saw that knowledge might be used to develop a much better world, and this concept of hope and understanding still resonates today.