A weird thought came to me this morning. Why isn't there a Nobel Prize in Accounting?
And then it occurred to me that this was absurd. What innovations have there been in accounting that could be celebrated?
And how would we know given the professions dedication to opacity?
And does the profession as it is contribute to social welfare anyway?
It was a depressing moment of perception on the state of my first profession.
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The TJN could always endow an accounting prize in memory of Alfred Nobel :).
You may as well ask why there isn’t a Nobel for teaching, architecture, music, art or many other pursuit that can enrich the human experience.
The Nobels are as dear old Albert defined them in his will. I personally don’t think there’s much mileage to be had from reading anything else into it.
Then again, I’m an accountant so I would say that!!
Except that every year we have reported a “Nobel Prize” in Economics which old Alfred never had anything to do with.
Alfred, not Albert. That’s what relying on memory does for you.
I’m sure those who come up innovations in CREATIVE accounting are well rewarded… 😎
🙂
Um, given some of the rather rum choices of the Nobel committee in recent years I really do wonder who they would go for among the accountants. But what about one for Skiving? I might be in with a shout for that one.
Tell me where I fill in the nomination
There is one in economics. Comes with a big wodge of prize money.
But it has nothing to do with Nobel, who did not endow any prize in economics. In fact it is officially a prize in “memory of Alfred Nobel”. What’s to stop a rich believer in, say, Astrology to endow his own prize in memory of Alfred?
Considering your success at selling your ideas to so many organisations prepared to pay for them, I can’t believe that something as staid as accounting is your oldest profession!
FCA is my oldest profession
….mine too but the only one!
It might well be considered the oldest profession full stop, given the way the dominant forces it it behave.
I think that an Oscar would be more appropriate.
Actors portray a view of the world and persuade us, through their skills, to accept its validity.
We could start with “Best Supporting Role in a Financial Cover Up”
🙂
It seems to me that accountants – especially those charged with reducing the tax bill and misrepresenting company turnover etc., are already well rewarded enough as it is. And wouldn’t such a prize just draw attention to their shady practices?
Luca Pacioli.