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1、WhyAreHarvardGraduatesintheMailroom?Intheirbook“Freakonomics,”StephenJ.DubnerandStevenD.Levittexplain,amongotherthings,theoddeconomicbehaviorthatguidesmanydrugdealers.Inonegangtheydescribed,thetypicalstreet-cornerguymadelessthanminimumwagebutstillwork
2、edextremelyhardinhopesofsomedaybecomingoneofthefewwildlyrichkingpins.Thisbehaviorisn’tisolatedtoillegalactivity.Thereareanumberofprofessionsinwhichworkersarepaid,inpart,withafigurativelotteryticket.Theworkeracceptsalower-payingjobinexchangeforaslimbut
3、realchanceofalarge,futurepayday.ThismoreorlessexplainsHollywood.Yes,theOscarsmaybeanabsurdspectacleofremarkablysuccessfulpeoplecongratulatingthemselvesforworkthatbarelynudgesatthebordersofmeaningfulhumanachievement.Butit’salsoacelebrationofaformofmeri
4、tocraticcapitalism.I’mnottalkingaboutthefortuneslavishedonextremelygoodlookingpeople;no,Imeantheeconomicsystemthatcompelslotsofyoungpeopletoworkextremelyhardforlittlepaysothatit’spossibletolavishfortuneonthegood-lookingpeople.That’sthespiritofmeritocr
5、aticcapitalism!Hollywoodis,insomeways,themodellotteryindustry.Formostcompaniesinthebusiness,itdoesn’tmakeeconomicsenseto,asGoogledoes,putpromisingyoungapplicantsthroughaseriesoftestsandthenhireonlythesmallnumberwhopass.Instead,it’scheaperfortalentagen
6、ciesandstudiostohirealotofyoungworkersandrunthemthroughafewyearsoflow-payingdrudgery.(Actorsareanotherstoryaltogether.Manynevergetsteadyjobsinthefirstplace.)Thisoccupationalcentrifugeallowsworkerstoeffectivelysortthemselvesoutbasedonskillanddrive.Over
7、time,somewilllosetheircommitment;otherswillrealizethattheydon’thavetherighttalentset;otherswillfindthatthey’rebetteratsomethingelse.Whenit’stimetochoosewhogetsthetopjoborbecomespartner,managerssubsequentlyhavealotmoreinformationtoworkwith.Inthemeantim
8、e,companiesalsogetthebenefitofseveralyearsofhardworkfromdeterminedyoungpeopleatbelow-marketpay.(WarnerBrotherspaysitsmailroomclerks$25,000to$30,000,alittlemorethananapprenticeplumber.)Whilefarfromperfect,thisstrategyhasdoneaprettydecentjobofpu
