Daniel Kahneman
Nobel laureate for prospect theory and cognitive biases
Most quoted
"A general 'law of least effort' applies to cognitive as well as physical exertion. The law states that if there are several ways of achieving the same goal, people will eventually gravitate to the least demanding course of action."
— from Thinking, Fast and Slow, 2011
"The confidence we experience as we make a judgment is not a reasoned evaluation of the probability that it is right. Confidence is a feeling, which reflects the coherence of the information and the cognitive ease of processing it."
— from Thinking, Fast and Slow, 2011
"The sunk-cost fallacy is the idea that people are reluctant to abandon a strategy or course of action because they have invested heavily in it, even when it is clear that abandonment would be more beneficial."
— from Interview/Lecture
All quotes by Daniel Kahneman (309)
Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product.
We are all prisoners of our own perspectives.
The quality of our lives depends on the quality of our attention.
We are wired to see patterns, even where none exist.
The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.
The only way to be truly happy is to accept that you are not in control.
Our lives are a series of stories we tell ourselves.
The future is always more uncertain than we imagine.
We are more likely to regret inaction than action.
The pursuit of happiness is a fool's errand.
The world is not as it appears to be, but as we are.
The human mind is a marvel of self-deception.
We are not just observers of the world, but participants in its creation.
The only constant in life is change.
The beauty of life lies in its impermanence.
Death is not the end, but a transformation.
The meaning of life is to give life meaning.
Truth is not something you find, but something you create.
Consciousness is the universe experiencing itself.
The human condition is to strive for meaning in a meaningless world.
Contemporaries of Daniel Kahneman
Other Psychologys born within 50 years of Daniel Kahneman (1934–2024).