Herbert Simon

Cognitive Science United States 1916 – 2001 65 quotes

American economist and cognitive scientist who won Nobel for decision-making models, noting 'What information consumes is rather obvious: it consumes the attention of its recipients.'

Quotes by Herbert Simon

The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.

Personal reflection 1980

Economics is the science of choice under scarcity.

Book 1955

Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity, not a threat.

Interview 1990

The essence of creativity is the ability to combine ideas in new ways.

Book (Models of Discovery) 1977

Life is a series of decisions, each building on the last.

Autobiography excerpt 1998

True wisdom comes from understanding the limits of one's knowledge.

Speech 1965

Organizations evolve through trial and error, much like natural selection.

Book 1947

The joy of discovery is the greatest reward of the scientist.

Nobel Lecture 1978

Attention is the scarcest resource in the modern world.

Article 1971

Heuristics are the shortcuts that make complex decisions possible.

Book 1956

The artificial sciences study the creations of the human mind.

Book 1969

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.

Letter 1985

In the game of life, the rules are constantly changing.

Interview 1990

Cognition is the bridge between perception and action.

Book 1979

The best way to predict the future is to invent it.

Speech 1965

Bureaucracy is the price we pay for complexity.

Book 1947

Memory is the treasury and guardian of all things.

Personal reflection 1980

Decision makers act within the limits of their cognitive capabilities.

Book 1957

The human mind is a goal-seeking system.

Book 1969

Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.

Witty remark 1992