If you are an Arabic-speaking, Greek-Orthodox going to a French school it makes you deeply sceptical if you have to listen to three different accounts of the Crusades - one from the Muslim side, one from the Greek side and one from the Catholic side. Nassim Nicholas Taleb accountarabiccatholic share on social
The people I go after are the false experts, those who do not accept the limits of their knowledge. Nassim Nicholas Taleb acceptexpertfalse Change image and share on social
We have this culture of financialization. People think they need to make money with their savings rather with their own business. So you end up with dentists who are more traders than dentists. A dentist should drill teeth and use whatever he does in the stock market for entertainment. Nassim Nicholas Taleb businessculturedentist share on social
Economics make homeopath and alternative healers look empirical and scientific. Nassim Nicholas Taleb alternativeeconomicsempirical Change image and share on social
I've been telling anyone willing to listen that banks have a tendency to sit on time bombs while convincing themselves that they are conservative and nonvolatile. Nassim Nicholas Taleb bankbombconservative Change image and share on social
Never take advice from anyone in a tie. They'll bankrupt you. Don't ask a general for advice on war, and don't ask a broker for advice on money. Nassim Nicholas Taleb advicebankruptbroker Change image and share on social
I don't know anyone on Wall Street who goes to work every day thinking of anything but how to increase their bonus. Nassim Nicholas Taleb bonusdayincrease Change image and share on social
Poverty is clearly one source of emotional suffering, but there are others, like loneliness. Nassim Nicholas Taleb emotionallonelinesspoverty Change image and share on social
I select a very small number of things to be sceptical about, such as markets, and on these I am hypersceptic. But I want to be fooled by randomness in art. I want the ceremonial of religion; we are made for it. Nassim Nicholas Taleb artceremonialfool share on social
Corporations take the humanity out of trade - they take the happiness out and replace it with something that is ugly. Nassim Nicholas Taleb corporationhappinesshumanity Change image and share on social