“Financial markets depend on trust, and we had precious little trust as it was. The LIBOR scandal has done nothing to restore that trust. We have to do a lot more work on our regulations, procedures and regulators to re-establish that level of trust.”— Andrew Lo
The quote archive
A growing archive of 3,000+ moments, drawn from every interview.
We have a growing inequality of rationality. At the top, we've never been so rational – we've accomplished technological miracles… we sequenced the COVID-19 genome in days and deployed vaccines in under a year… we're travelling to space.
— Steven PinkerCognitive Scientist & Psychologist Known for Research on Language and Human Nature
The laws of cause and effect which govern our universe don't care about our beliefs – so we'd better find out what those laws are and try and align our beliefs to them to eliminate guesswork.
— Steven PinkerCognitive Scientist & Psychologist Known for Research on Language and Human Nature
Rationality applies whether you believe in it or not. One idea follows from another – or it doesn't – and if you want some of your beliefs to lead to other beliefs, you have no choice but to be rational.
— Steven PinkerCognitive Scientist & Psychologist Known for Research on Language and Human Nature
Truth is an aspiration which none of us can ever know that we have attained. Nobody has a pipeline to the truth; nobody is imbued with divine revelation. We seek truth through institutions like science, journalism, governance, justice systems and record keeping.
— Steven PinkerCognitive Scientist & Psychologist Known for Research on Language and Human Nature
When I look at my own life- the things that I'm most embarrassed about are the moments where I acted, or didn't act, because of fear. The moments I'm most proud of are those where I acted with some semblance of courage.
— Ryan HolidayAuthor & Stoicism Expert; Marketer & Media Strategist
Our world today is not only superficial, but also very cynical, almost to the point of nihilism. There's a cynicism that masquerades as intelligence, but which- in reality- is a form of despair, a kind of excuse for not having to do anything.
— Ryan HolidayAuthor & Stoicism Expert; Marketer & Media Strategist
Courage is not the opposite of fear, rather it is the triumph over fear. There is nothing courageous about a guaranteed outcome, right? Courage is being yourself in a world where everyone tries to be like everyone else.
— Ryan HolidayAuthor & Stoicism Expert; Marketer & Media Strategist
Fear just finds a new thing to be scared of. People are worried about having mean things said about them on twitter… they're worried about losing their jobs… and yes, all those things suck, and could happen, but it's not the same as being tied-up and roasted at the stake!
— Ryan HolidayAuthor & Stoicism Expert; Marketer & Media Strategist
My advice is to grab hold of people that are close to you and lean on them heavily. That's how we're designed to work!
— Steve PetersPsychiatrist and author of "The Chimp Paradox
The rules of the brain are such that the chimp can freeze our brain, freezing the human out and can make decisions on our behalf.
— Steve PetersPsychiatrist and author of "The Chimp Paradox
Robustness is being in a good place and having a plan, resilience is being able to implement that plan and stay in a good place.
— Steve PetersPsychiatrist and author of "The Chimp Paradox
Emotions are like the reward (or punishment) the brain gives us for getting what we need, want, or could be harmed by.
— Steve PetersPsychiatrist and author of "The Chimp Paradox
If you know what's inside your head and you understand its structures, rules, and functions, it avoids glitches. You can almost think of it like three sock puppets! You, this little chimp, and a computer, trying to run your life.
— Steve PetersPsychiatrist and author of "The Chimp Paradox
If only one-quarter melted, it would lead to a 2-metre rise in sea-levels all over the world and would threaten thousands of cities and towns on every continent.
— Ólafur Ragnar GrímssonFormer President of Iceland (1996-2016)
The old diplomatic model where only representatives of states have a formal role cannot work in today's world. We need open, democratic platforms that allow everyone to participate – it could be a young activist or a business leader, it could be a scientist or an indigenous leader.
— Ólafur Ragnar GrímssonFormer President of Iceland (1996-2016)
The most common misunderstanding is that the Arctic is just a frozen wilderness with a lot of ice and glaciers and a few polar bears roaming. On the contrary the Arctic is a very diverse part of our planet with multiple resources and economic opportunities, the home for over four million people of different nationalities and diverse ethnic origin.
— Ólafur Ragnar GrímssonFormer President of Iceland (1996-2016)