“ There is such a thing as nonnerdy applied mathematics: find a problem first, and figure out the math that works for it (just as one acquires language), rather than study in a vacuum through theorems a… Nassim Nicholas Taleb
“ There is a Yiddish saying: If I am going to be forced to eat pork, it better be of the best kind. If I am going to be fooled by randomness, it better be of the beautiful (and harmless) kind. Nassim Nicholas Taleb
“ Nykyaika: loimme nuoruuden ilman sankaruutta, iän ilman viisautta ja elämän ilman loistoa. Nassim Nicholas Taleb
“ My point taken further is that True and False (hence what we call belief) play a poor, secondary role in human decisions; it is the payoff from the True and the False that dominates—and it is almost a… Nassim Nicholas Taleb
“ Let me be more aggressive: we are largely better at doing than we are at thinking, thanks to antifragility. I’d rather be dumb and antifragile than extremely smart and fragile, any time. Nassim Nicholas Taleb
“ 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. Nassim Nicholas Taleb
“ If you ever do have to heed a forecast, keep in mind that its accuracy degrades rapidly as you extend it through time. Nassim Nicholas Taleb
“ I will repeat the following until I am hoarse: it is contagion that determines the fate of a theory in social science, not its validity. Nassim Nicholas Taleb
“ Further, the problem is not just that Mithridatization and hormesis can be known in (some) medical circles and missed in other applications such as socioeconomic life. Even within medicine, some get i… Nassim Nicholas Taleb
“ Charlatan was held to be a synonym for empirick. The word empiric designated someone who relied on experiment and experience to ascertain what was correct. In other words, trial and error and tinkerin… Nassim Nicholas Taleb
“ A prophet is not someone who first had an idea. He is the one to first believe in it and take it to its conclusion. Nassim Nicholas Taleb
“ We humans lack imagination, to the point of not even knowing what tomorrow's important things will look like. Nassim Nicholas Taleb
“ You are a lucky man; you presented in such a comprehensive way the effect of chance on society and the overestimation of cause and effect. You show how stupid we are to systematically try to explain s… Nassim Nicholas Taleb
“ We favor the visible, the embedded, the personal, the narrated, and the tangible; we scorn the abstract. Nassim Nicholas Taleb
“ Undercompensation from the absence of a stressor, inverse hormesis, absence of challenge, degrades the best of the best. Nassim Nicholas Taleb
“ There is a Yiddish saying: If I am going to be forced to eat pork, it better be of the best kind. Nassim Nicholas Taleb
