Nassim Nicholas Taleb

The best way to detect a charlatan is to see how they react to criticism. They will attack the messenger.

The problem with experts is that they are so good at their field that they forget what it's like to be a beginner.

If you want to be free, learn to say no.

Never get into a discussion with a person who has nothing to lose.

The general public has a hard time distinguishing between the truth and a well-told story.

The difference between a charlatan and a true philosopher is that the charlatan tries to impress you with his knowledge, while the philosopher tries to make you think.

The more energy you spend trying to control things, the less energy you have to adapt to them.

The greatest minds are those who can simplify complex ideas without distorting them.

Beware of people who take themselves too seriously.

The problem with conventional education is that it tries to teach you what to think, not how to think.

The world is divided into two types of people: those who divide the world into two types of people, and those who don't.

Don't tell me what you think, tell me what you have in your portfolio.

The only way to be truly free is to be financially independent.

Never trust a journalist who has not lived in poverty.

The most important quality for a scientist is to be willing to say 'I don't know.'

The more complex the system, the more likely it is to fail.

The greatest invention of mankind is the ability to ignore things.

The more you try to predict the future, the more you are fooled by randomness.

Never trust a statistician who doesn't gamble.

The problem with modernity is that it has removed us from our natural environment.