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)
The idea that the future is predictable is a powerful illusion.
We are designed to see patterns, even when they don't exist.
The experience of thinking is not the same as the experience of being right.
The most important thing is to know what you don't know.
People are not irrational, they are predictably irrational.
The human mind is a story-telling machine.
We are very good at making sense of the past, but not very good at predicting the future.
The illusion of understanding is a pervasive and powerful phenomenon.
The only way to improve your judgment is to be aware of your biases.
Happiness is not a goal, it's a byproduct.
The power of a good story is immense.
We are more confident than we are correct.
The most important skill for a leader is to be able to admit when they are wrong.
The mind is not a single entity; it's a collection of systems.
The way we frame a problem can profoundly affect the choices we make.
We tend to believe what we want to believe.
The quality of your decisions depends on the quality of your thinking.
The human mind is a marvel of efficiency, but it's not always accurate.
We are constantly constructing a coherent story of the world, even if it's not entirely true.
The illusion of control is a powerful force.
Contemporaries of Daniel Kahneman
Other Psychologys born within 50 years of Daniel Kahneman (1934–2024).