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Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Nassim Nicholas Taleb Quotes

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Nassim Nicholas Taleb is a renowned author, scholar, and thinker whose unique perspective and profound insights have had a wide-reaching impact in fields such as finance, statistics, and philosophy. He is best known for his books 'The Black Swan' and 'Fooled by Randomness', which have explored the nature of uncertainty, risk, and probability theory.

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Famous Nassim Nicholas Taleb Quotes

“Someone who says "I am busy" is either declaring incompetence (and lack of control of his life) or trying to get rid of you.”

Trying Busy Incompetence Declaring Lack Of Control

Book:The Bed of Procrustes: Philosophical and Practical Aphorisms

Source: The Bed of Procrustes: Philosophical and Practical Aphorisms

“A competitive athlete is painful to look at; trying hard to become an animal rather than a man, he will never be as fast as a cheetah or as strong as an ox.”

Men Trying Looks Hard Strong Animal Athlete Painful Trying Hard Cheetahs

Book:The Bed of Procrustes: Philosophical and Practical Aphorisms

Source: The Bed of Procrustes: Philosophical and Practical Aphorisms

“If you hear a "prominent" economist using the word 'equilibrium,' or 'normal distribution,' do not argue with him; just ignore him, or try to put a rat down his shirt.”

Ifs Trying Normal Arguing Shirts Rats Economist Distribution Equilibrium Prominent

Book:The Black Swan: Second Edition: The Impact of the Highly Improbable Fragility

Source: The Black Swan: Second Edition: The Impact of the Highly Improbable Fragility

“If you have more than one reason to do something (choose a doctor or veterinarian, hire a gardener or an employee, marry a person, go on a trip), just don’t do it. It does not mean that one reason is better than two, just that by invoking more than one reason you are trying to convince yourself to do something. Obvious decisions (robust to error) require no more than a single reason.”

Ifs Trying Mean Persons Doe Two Reason Decision Goes On Doctors Errors Obvious Employee Convince Gardener Robust Veterinarian

Author:Nassim Nicholas Taleb

“The irony of the process of thought control: the more energy you put into trying to control your ideas and what you think about, the more your ideas end up controlling you.”

Thinking Trying Ideas Ends Energy Process Irony

Book:Incerto 4-Book Bundle: Fooled by Randomness The Black Swan The Bed of Procrustes Antifragile

Source: Incerto 4-Book Bundle: Fooled by Randomness The Black Swan The Bed of Procrustes Antifragile

“This is the tragedy of modernity: as with neurotically overprotective parents, those trying to help are often hurting us the most.”

Trying Helping Parent Hurt Tragedy Modernity Overprotective

Book:Incerto 4-Book Bundle: Fooled by Randomness The Black Swan The Bed of Procrustes Antifragile

Source: Incerto 4-Book Bundle: Fooled by Randomness The Black Swan The Bed of Procrustes Antifragile

“Suckers try to win arguments, nonsuckers try to win.”

Trying Winning Argument Sucker

Book:Incerto 4-Book Bundle: Fooled by Randomness The Black Swan The Bed of Procrustes Antifragile

Source: Incerto 4-Book Bundle: Fooled by Randomness The Black Swan The Bed of Procrustes Antifragile

“Dress your best on your execution day. Be extremely courteous to your assistant when you lose money. Try not to blame others for your fate, even if they deserve blame. Never exhibit any self-pity. Do not complain.”

Ifs Trying Self Loses Fate Deserve Adversity Dresses Blame Complaining Pity Execution Exhibits Assistants Self Pity Courteous

Author:Nassim Nicholas Taleb

“People are much less interested in what you are trying to show them than what you are trying to hide.”

People Trying Shows

Author:Nassim Nicholas Taleb