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365 Half of suckerhood is not realizing that what you don’t like might be loved by someone else (hence by you later); & the reverse. Fri Jul 02 16:12:09 +0000 2010
364 My idea is to be aggressive risk-taker in the 3 quadrants & extremely prudent in the 4th; establishment does reverse http://TwitPWR.com/LoJ/ Fri Jul 02 11:54:10 +0000 2010
363 We are satisfied with natural (or old) objects but insatiable with technologies amplifying small improvements in versions-mental treadmill Fri Jul 02 10:22:56 +0000 2010
362 For them this is a financial crisis; to me it is an intellectual crisis a crisis of civilization. Thu Jul 01 20:22:29 +0000 2010
361 The weak cannot be good. Thu Jul 01 18:21:36 +0000 2010
360 Most feed their obsessions by getting rid of them. Thu Jul 01 17:49:47 +0000 2010
359 7 PM Politics & Prose (DC); mostly about Plato elephants my visit to Berlin fragility of nation-states Lebanese wine StendhalHuet Wed Jun 30 13:20:54 +0000 2010
358 Technology is at its best when it is invisible. Wed Jun 30 12:28:15 +0000 2010
357 Passionate hate (by nations & individuals) ends by rotation to another subject of hate; mediocrity cannot handle more than one enemy. Wed Jun 30 12:25:58 +0000 2010
356 Saying nonfiction to bundle all these forms of writing (older than the novel) is like saying nonprostitute to describe a class of humans. Wed Jun 30 11:39:39 +0000 2010
355 What we call fiction is when you look deep much less fictional than nonfiction; but it is usually less imaginative. Wed Jun 30 11:37:00 +0000 2010
354 Just realized reading Stendhal that Catholic countries had more serial monogamy than today but w/o divorce -they faced chronic widowhood . Wed Jun 30 10:27:14 +0000 2010
353 No monkey is as good-looking that the ugliest of humans no businessman worthier than the worst of the poets. Tue Jun 29 14:14:12 +0000 2010
352 If your anger decreases with time you did injustice; if it increases you suffered injustice. Mon Jun 28 19:41:16 +0000 2010
351 RT @ahaspel: @nntaleb But German has a related term — Radler (cyclist) after the posture: bent back above kicking feet below. Mon Jun 28 18:50:54 +0000 2010
350 English does not distinguish between arrogant-up irreverence towards the temporarily powerful and arrogant-down directed at the small guy. Mon Jun 28 16:22:04 +0000 2010
349 Note 131 http://TwitPWR.com/Lb9/ Mon Jun 28 11:26:23 +0000 2010
348 The person you are the most afraid to contradict is yourself. Mon Jun 28 10:22:20 +0000 2010
347 If you want to annoy a poet explain his poetry. Mon Jun 28 07:21:09 +0000 2010
346 A large part of the Great Sucker Problem (GSP) is the central confusion between unobserved and non-existent the unproven & the erroneous. Sun Jun 27 14:48:32 +0000 2010
345 In the past most were ignorant except for 1 in 1000 refined enough to talk to. Today thx to progress literacy& media only 1 in 100000. Sun Jun 27 12:11:00 +0000 2010
344 There is a distinction between expressive hypochondria and literature just as there is one between self-help and philosophy. Sat Jun 26 21:02:00 +0000 2010
343 Failure of 2nd order thinking (autism): he tells you a secret & expect you to keep it when he just gave you evidence that he can’t keep it. Fri Jun 25 21:26:38 +0000 2010
342 Don’t talk abt ” progress” in terms of longevity safety or comfort before looking at zoo animals compared to those in the wildrnss. Fri Jun 25 12:08:11 +0000 2010
341 Most people fear being alone without audiovisual stimulation because they are too repetitive when they think & imagine things on their own. Fri Jun 25 11:07:27 +0000 2010
340 It takes extraordinary wisdom & self control to accept that many things have a logic we do not understand that is smarter than our own. Fri Jun 25 11:03:40 +0000 2010
339 We now face the choice betw those who write clearly about a subject they don’t know& those who write poorly about a subject they don’t know Thu Jun 24 18:22:08 +0000 2010
338 2010 600000 books in English with few memorable quotes; c. 0 AD a handful of books with loads of quotes. Information rich dark ages. Thu Jun 24 15:58:34 +0000 2010
337 They spend their lives writing and writing and manage to avoid producing a single quotable sentence. Thu Jun 24 14:34:13 +0000 2010
336 Those who when discussing someone’s writings hint at the connection with “my friend X” are most probably not his friends. Thu Jun 24 14:26:32 +0000 2010
335 Just as dyed hair makes older men less attractive what you do to hide your weaknesses makes them more repugnant. Thu Jun 24 13:55:07 +0000 2010
334 If someone gives you more than one reason why he wants the job don’t hire him. Thu Jun 24 10:53:42 +0000 2010
333 When someone says “I am not that stupid” it often means that he is more stupid than he thinks. Wed Jun 23 21:16:22 +0000 2010
332 To understand the liberating effect of asceticism consider that losing all your fortune is much less painful than losing half of it. Wed Jun 23 17:15:26 +0000 2010
331 I knew that businessmen had others write books for them; turns out they also have others read (& summarize) books for them. Wed Jun 23 09:26:32 +0000 2010
330 We talk about romantic love not its inescapable and far more interesting mutation romantic hate. Tue Jun 22 20:23:19 +0000 2010
329 A verbal threat is the most authentic certificate of impotence. Tue Jun 22 18:49:52 +0000 2010
328 Most of the so-called writers keep writing & writing with the hope to some day find something to say. Tue Jun 22 07:54:19 +0000 2010
327 For so many instead of looking for “cause of death” when they expire we should be looking for “cause of life” when they are still around. Mon Jun 21 20:41:25 +0000 2010
326 Don’t complain too loud about wrongs done you you may give ideas to your less imaginative enemies. Mon Jun 21 12:08:37 +0000 2010
325 2- Beauty is enhanced by unashamed irregularities; greatness by a facade of blunder. Sun Jun 20 23:39:04 +0000 2010
324 It’s much harder to write a review for a book you’ve read than for a book you haven’t read. Sun Jun 20 13:17:40 +0000 2010
323 The best revenge on a liar is to convince him that you believe what he said. Sun Jun 20 13:04:04 +0000 2010
322 1- We love imperfection the right kind of imperfection; we pay up for original art & typo-laden 1st editions. Sat Jun 19 16:47:33 +0000 2010
321 The magnificent believes half what he hears and twice what he says. Sat Jun 19 12:56:36 +0000 2010
320 Quite revealing of human preferences that more suicides come from shame or loss of financial & social status than acute health problems. Fri Jun 18 20:04:21 +0000 2010
319 The deeper the river the less noise it makes (Amioun proverb). Fri Jun 18 17:48:51 +0000 2010
318 At lunch (French restrnt) they ate the salmon & removed the skin;at dinner (sushi) they ate the skin & removed the salmon. Domain dependence Fri Jun 18 11:55:27 +0000 2010
317 Engineers can compute but not define mathematicians can define but not compute economists can neither compute nor define. Fri Jun 18 11:50:04 +0000 2010
316 My central idea: The rationalist wants an imbecile-free world the empiricist an imbecile-proof one. (Or better a rationalist-proof one). Fri Jun 18 11:37:35 +0000 2010
315 @City_Poems Reverse arrow: in Q&A People asked if I take my ideas into practice no-one ever asked if I got my ideas from practice #GAIM10 Wed Jun 16 15:33:21 +0000 2010
314 Society needs prudent leaders and risk-taking error-prone followers; we got the opposite. Tue Jun 15 15:54:11 +0000 2010
313 Many of those said to be unbribable are just too expensive. Tue Jun 15 13:12:08 +0000 2010
312 Many are so unoriginal they need to study history to find mistakes to repeat. Mon Jun 14 15:00:28 +0000 2010
311 Being unimaginative is only a problem for those who get bored easily. Mon Jun 14 14:42:22 +0000 2010
310 I’ve always wondered if one could be fit and healthy without boring others with talk of diet health & fitness. Mon Jun 14 12:13:11 +0000 2010
309 A mathematician starts with a problem and creates a solution; a consultant starts with a “solution” and create s a problem. Sat Jun 12 18:38:47 +0000 2010
308 Technology can degrade every single aspect of a sucker’s life while convincing him that it is becoming more “efficient”. Sat Jun 12 18:34:58 +0000 2010
307 The opposite of manliness isn’t effeminacy; it’s technology. Sat Jun 12 18:18:57 +0000 2010
306 If you can identify a single reason why you and someone are friends you are not friends. Sat Jun 12 14:01:23 +0000 2010
305 An educated sucker is the best sucker. (Fat Tony) Sat Jun 12 11:05:54 +0000 2010
304 For most success is the harmful passage from the camp of the hating to the camp of the hated. Wed Jun 09 20:25:06 +0000 2010
303 Fate is at its cruelest when a finance person ends up poor. Tue Jun 08 17:19:29 +0000 2010
302 There are designations like “economist” “prostitute” or “consultant” for which additional characterization does n’t add information. Mon Jun 07 11:37:55 +0000 2010
301 For a writerthe distance between enthusiastic fan & rabid detractor is as short as 2 or 3 unanswered letters; jst the perception of a snub. Sun Jun 06 22:19:26 +0000 2010
300 For most work & what comes with it have the eroding effect of chronic injury. [rev'd] Sun Jun 06 12:31:15 +0000 2010
299 Half the people lie with their lips; the other half with their tears. [rev'd] Sun Jun 06 12:28:49 +0000 2010
298 It is harder to say no when you really mean it than when you don’t. Sat Jun 05 22:14:19 +0000 2010
297 For the classics philosophical insight was the product of a life of leisure; for me a life of leisure is the product of philopsphcal insight Sat Jun 05 21:59:38 +0000 2010
296 The tragedy is that much of what you think is random is in your control and what’s worse the opposite. Sat Jun 05 21:53:20 +0000 2010
295 For most work & what come with it have the eroding effect of chronic injury. Sat Jun 05 19:32:27 +0000 2010
294 Dixeris maledicta cuncta cum hominem ingratum dixeris. [Once you've called someone ingrate no need to say more - Publilius the Syrian]. Sat Jun 05 18:20:33 +0000 2010
293 Half the people lie with their tongues; the other half lie with their tears. Sat Jun 05 18:11:03 +0000 2010
292 Radio Open Source Nassim Nicholas Taleb: The Crisis is Just Begun: http://bit.ly/96BVo Fri Jun 04 21:27:55 +0000 2010
291 …and you can be certain that a person has neither means nor will to help you when he says ‘I am here to help”. Thu Jun 03 13:09:09 +0000 2010
290 You can be certain that a person has the means but not the will to help you when he says “there is nothing else I can do”. Thu Jun 03 11:15:34 +0000 2010
289 The English have Mediterranean weather at random times; but they go to Spain because their free hours are deterministic & rigid. [Hay Fest] Wed Jun 02 11:24:58 +0000 2010
288 Preoccupation with efficacy is the main obstacle to a poetic noble elegant or heroic life. Tue Jun 01 16:52:00 +0000 2010
287 When conflicted between two mutually exclusive choices take neither. If you can. Tue Jun 01 13:04:53 +0000 2010
286 Whatever you see around that is not perishable can be expected to be in the middle of its lifespan BACKUP http://TwitPWR.com/JZ0/ Tue Jun 01 10:44:48 +0000 2010
285 The main disadvantage of being a writer is that there is nothing you can say or do that can get you in trouble. [Hay Festival Wales] Mon May 31 19:09:04 +0000 2010
284 Pharmaceutical companies are better at inventing diseases to match existing drugs than inventing drugs to match existing diseases. Sat May 29 12:53:02 +0000 2010
283 The weak shows off his strength hides his defects; the magnificent exhibits his defects like ornaments. [Robustness] Fri May 28 16:05:19 +0000 2010
282 Corollary: whatever you see around that is not perishable can be expected to be in the middle of its lifespan: books companies species Fri May 28 08:02:52 +0000 2010
281 The best predictor of whether a technology will be used in 10 years is if it has been in use for 10 years. (Beware: is a noisy predictor) Fri May 28 07:52:21 +0000 2010
280 In Proust’s Morel demonizes Nissim Bernard a Jew who lent him money; & becomes anti-Semitic just to escape the feeling of gratitude Thu May 27 18:09:56 +0000 2010
279 In Proust’s Morel demonizes Nissim Bernard a Jew who lent him money; & becomes anti-Semitic just to escape the feeling of gratitude. Thu May 27 17:58:27 +0000 2010
278 Fortune punishes the greedy by making him poor & the very greedy by making him rich. Thu May 27 12:49:07 +0000 2010
277 In nature whatever is functional is elegant; in modern life the opposite. Wed May 26 16:39:30 +0000 2010
276 A friendship that ends was never one; there was at least one sucker in it. Wed May 26 15:47:38 +0000 2010
275 In poor countries regulators receive explicit bribes; in DC they get sophisticated implicit unspoken promises to work for Corporations. Tue May 25 19:38:19 +0000 2010
274 When expressing “good luck” to a peer the weak wishes the opposite the strong is mildly indifferent; but only the magnificent means it. Tue May 25 19:22:13 +0000 2010
273 The weak regrets his words more than his silence; the strong regrets his silence more than his words; the magnificent regrets nothing. Tue May 25 17:59:14 +0000 2010
272 When he/she shouts that what you did was impardonable he/she has already started to pardon you. Tue May 25 14:49:55 +0000 2010
271 (For Orthodox (Palamas) & Algazel (3rd cat) attempts to define God using Greek philos universals (2nd cat) was a Western-Averroan mistake). Tue May 25 13:34:47 +0000 2010
270 Mathematically there are things we can define & compute things we can define but not compute & things we can neither define nor compute. Tue May 25 12:56:36 +0000 2010
269 Saying “the mathematics of uncertainty” is like saying “the chastity of sex” -what is mathematized is no longe r uncertain & vice versa. Tue May 25 12:51:32 +0000 2010
268 A scientist talking about uncertainty incompleteness unknowledge & ignorance is like a psychopath talking about compassion. Tue May 25 11:41:40 +0000 2010
267 @ahaspel You shd not be put in a position to ax that question… Tue May 25 01:43:15 +0000 2010
266 Re Venter: a nuclear accident remains relatively local and nonscalable a biological one w/ “replicator” will be global.I don’t want this! Mon May 24 17:22:05 +0000 2010
265 2- Mother Nature proved to be vastly smarter than biologists just as the economy proved to be vastly smarter than economists. Mon May 24 13:43:48 +0000 2010
264 1-Re Venter; In brief natural evolution is robust & takes place across ecosystem; manmade evolution is fragile & disrupts unpredictably. Mon May 24 13:36:10 +0000 2010
263 Will talk about literatureVenter’s playing G.d & will be heckled by detractors tonite 7 PM B&N Union Sq in NY http://TwitPWR.com/Jtl/ Mon May 24 11:29:46 +0000 2010
262 Venter’s attempt: an insult to G..d; but also an insult to evolution; http://www.edge.org/#taleb Mon May 24 11:01:56 +0000 2010
261 2- As a good filter of noise ask yourself before you read anything whether it will be still be in print in one ten & fifty years… Sun May 23 20:19:45 +0000 2010
260 1-Some write books without anything quotable (profs journos etc.); others inexhaustible (Plato Wittgnst Cicero Mutanabbi Nietzsche..) Sun May 23 19:28:06 +0000 2010
259 Wisdom in the young is as unattractive as frivolity in the elderly. Sun May 23 17:50:56 +0000 2010
258 Lesser men rarely compliment when they really mean it. Sun May 23 17:12:58 +0000 2010
257 It is a good practice to always apologize except when you have done something wrong Sun May 23 15:36:50 +0000 2010
256 The philosopher Demonax stopped a Spartan from beating his servant. “You are making him your equal” he said. [in Lucian of Samosata] Sun May 23 15:22:48 +0000 2010
255 By praising someone for his lack of defects you are also implying his lack of virtues. Sun May 23 12:56:34 +0000 2010
254 You can tell how uninteresting a person is by asking him whom he finds interesting. Sat May 22 22:15:01 +0000 2010
253 2- In real life you don’t know who really won or who really lost (except too late); but you can tell who is heroic and who is not. Sat May 22 13:27:49 +0000 2010
252 Games were created to give nonheroes the illusion of winning. (Gen ludic fallacy) Sat May 22 12:58:31 +0000 2010
251 With terminal disease nature lets you die with quick suffering; medicine lets you suffer with prolonged dying. (revised) Sat May 22 09:01:14 +0000 2010
250 With terminal disease nature lets you die without suffering; medicine lets you suffer without dying. Fri May 21 22:51:26 +0000 2010
249 The only definition of an alpha male: if you try to be an alpha male you will never be one. Fri May 21 18:01:34 +0000 2010
248 I will be heckled and bled to death by journalists & various detractors Monday 7 PM at the B&N Union Store in NY http://TwitPWR.com/Jtl/ Fri May 21 13:16:22 +0000 2010
247 Some half-men (usually finance people) are so unfit for success that when they make it they look like dwarves dressed in giants’ clothes. Fri May 21 11:58:21 +0000 2010
246 @TheStalwart @FelixSalmon Can you heckle me at the B&N Union Sq Monday Lecture? I never get tough questions. Thu May 20 21:57:40 +0000 2010
245 The curious mind embraces science; the gifted & sensitive the arts; the practical business; the leftover becomes an economist. Thu May 20 21:13:18 +0000 2010
244 @TheStalwart You forget the origin of wine <-Uinum <- phoenician Yayn from Bekaa Valley. 6000 years uninterrupted Thu May 20 17:26:46 +0000 2010
243 Ending media torture prematurely as book zoomed to the NYT bestseller lst. May still lecture but no swans just aphorisms & Lebanese wine. Thu May 20 17:14:38 +0000 2010
242 It takes a lot of intellect & confidence to accept that what makes sense doesn’t really make sense. Thu May 20 16:09:29 +0000 2010
241 People tend to fake indifference or extreme love; never hate. Wed May 19 22:42:36 2010
240 @tom_peters That’s substractive epistemology: knowledge of what does not work is more ROBUST to representational error/ randomness. Wed May 19 19:06:46 2010
239 People focus on role models; it is more effective to find anti-models people you don’t want to be like when you grow up. Wed May 19 18:55:31 2010
238 If my detractors knew me better they would hate me even more. Wed May 19 17:48:13 2010
237 Thinkers & artists care the most about the few who love them; politicians & vulgar professionals care the most about the few who hate them. Wed May 19 13:25:55 2010
236 There is nothing I’ve learned & still remember that I did not learn by myself; & nothing they tried to teach me that ended up sticking. Wed May 19 10:38:12 2010
235 Skills that transfer: street fights off-path hiking seduction broad erudition. Skills that don’t: school gamessports- what’s organized Tue May 18 22:14:37 2010
234 2- You exist if & only if your conversation (or writings) cannot be reconstructed w/clips from other conversations having taken place. Tue May 18 19:25:41 2010
233 1- A businessman’s conversation can be entirely reconstructed w/clips from other conversations taking place at the same time on the planet. Tue May 18 19:20:50 2010
232 Evidence that the ancient Levantines valued the virtue of “megalopsychia” or شهم before Christian era http://TwitPWR.com/Jih/ Tue May 18 15:23:14 2010
231 Your reputation is harmed the most by what you say to defend it. Tue May 18 12:11:35 2010
230 Mandelbrot’s genius is in achieving aesthetic simplicity without having recourse to smoothness; producing harmony in highly jagged surfaces Tue May 18 10:29:58 2010
229 (For those who still don’t get the point sports skills don’t transfer outside the narrow domain) Mon May 17 22:08:37 2010
228 (expl: free and wise humans don’t compete on a metric – genralized ludic fallacy). Mon May 17 13:34:59 2010
227 Competitive athletes are inferior to both humans and animals unless faster than a cheetah or stronger than a bull. Mon May 17 13:13:53 2010
226 Wit signals intelligence stripped of nerdiness. Mon May 17 13:06:45 2010
225 Catalogue raisonné (in progress) http://TwitPWR.com/JcO/ Mon May 17 10:35:05 2010
224 In classical renderings of prominent figures males are lean & females are plump; in modern photographs the opposite. Sun May 16 18:17:33 2010
223 The difference between magnificence & arrogance is in what one does when nobody is looking. Sun May 16 11:35:41 2010
222 Greatness starts with the replacement of hatred with polite disdain. Sun May 16 10:59:12 2010
221 When individuals go bust their debt don’t transfer to their children; when states do even the unborn is liable. Deficits are immoral. Sun May 16 10:46:38 2010
220 The classical man’s worst fear was inglorious death; the modern man’s worst fear is just death. [corrected thx] Sat May 15 19:07:50 2010
219 In much of our history only few men but almost all women were able to procreate. Equality is more natural to women than men. Sat May 15 18:34:44 2010
218 You may outlive your strength; never your wisdom. Sat May 15 18:24:14 2010
217 When a woman says “intelligent” about a man she also means handsome; when a man says “dumb” about a woman he also means pretty. Fri May 14 19:43:16 2010
216 BusinessBookReaders with my prose are like deaf persons in a Puccini opera: they may like a thing or two while wondering “what’s the point?” Fri May 14 13:01:37 2010
215 The characteristic feature of the loser is to bemoan mankind’s flaws biases & irrationality –without exploiting them for fun and profit. Fri May 14 12:16:07 2010
214 (cmmtry: This government deficit thing shows how people individually ethical can be turned collectively into unethical monsters. Shame.) Fri May 14 10:53:37 2010
213 Stimulus w/ deficit even if effective is as immoral as borrowing from your grandchildren (without asking them) to repay your gambling debt Fri May 14 10:47:37 2010
212 Promising someone good luck as return for good deeds sounds like a bribe; perhaps the remnant of archaic pre-deontic pre-classical morality Fri May 14 10:17:55 2010
211 Was on Bloomberg TV –impressed: vastly more professional than competitors; better thoughtful staff even the make-up was superior. Thu May 13 13:58:18 2010
210 Deficits are similar to carbs: the more you eat the hungrier you get. Thu May 13 12:45:11 2010
209 …and worsens with the replacement of memories with other memories. Wed May 12 15:59:45 2010
208 Decline starts with the replacement of dreams with memories; & reverses with the replacement of dreams with other dreams. Wed May 12 14:24:49 2010
207 (comment: your brain is most active when you make it completely free -as in the shower). Wed May 12 13:04:37 2010
206 You will be civilized the day you can spend time doing nothing learning nothing & improving nothing without feeling slightest guilt. Wed May 12 11:34:54 2010
205 Real philosophers require only long walks to figure out what mere people need crises accidents serial bailouts & calamities to understand Tue May 11 10:59:04 2010
204 Detecting dullness is best skill: Some pursuits like piracy are dull from inside (most of the time) though glamorous from the outside. Mon May 10 21:57:27 2010
203 Slaves (in Roman and Ottoman days) unlike today’s employees did not need to flatter their boss. Mon May 10 19:58:58 2010
202 Public companies like human cells are programmed for apoptosis suicide through hidden risks. Bailouts make the process more entertaining. Mon May 10 19:53:35 2010
201 You have a real life if & only if you do not compete with anyone in any of your pursuits. Mon May 10 09:48:23 2010
200 The difference between technology & slavery is that slaves are fully aware that they are not free. (Generalized Sucker Problem) Sun May 09 11:56:59 2010
199 It is as difficult to avoid bugging others with advice on how to exercise as it is to stick to an exercise schedule. Sat May 08 12:05:33 2010
198 Substractive epistemology: the sucker thinks Truth is search for knowlege; the nonsucker knows Truth is search for ignorance. Thu May 06 20:26:44 2010
197 For company you tend to prefer those who find you interesting over those you find interesting. Thu May 06 08:41:28 2010
196 Robustness & Fragility: For the robust an error is information; for the fragile an error is an error. Wed May 05 16:22:07 2010
195 The main difference between gov. bailouts and smoking is that in some rare cases the statement “this is my last cigarette” holds true. Wed May 05 06:06:55 2010
194 Love & happiness: Those who talk about love tend to be in love; but those who talk about happiness tend to be not happy. Mon May 03 19:26:21 2010
193 You have a real life when most of what you fear has the titillating prospect of adventure. Sun May 02 18:28:17 2010
192 The only objective definition of aging is when a person starts to discuss aging. Sat May 01 15:23:00 2010
191 @RealJeffMurdock. Just hit “like” button Thu Apr 29 22:14:45 2010
190 Experimenting with 2-way dialogue on http://TwitPWR.com/IgP/ Thu Apr 29 17:30:19 2010
189 You are only secure if you can lose your fortune without the added worse insult of having to become humble. (My great-g-g-grandfather’s rule Thu Apr 29 13:54:53 2010
188 What would you rather be; intellectually humble but perceived as arrogant or intellectually arrogant but perceived as humble? Wed Apr 28 23:12:28 2010
187 [comm: Nothing wrong w/book as peacock tail signaling of superiority & ego trip;it's the commercial agenda outside the bk that corrupts it] Wed Apr 28 22:34:25 2010
186 [comm: after a long media diet I realize that there is nothing that's not (clumsily) trying to sell you something. I only trust my library] Wed Apr 28 22:00:24 2010
185 The book is the only medium left that hasn’t been corrupted by the profane: everything else on your eyelids manipulates you with an ad. Wed Apr 28 21:43:54 2010
184 (commentary: efforts at building social political and medical utopias have caused nightmares; many cures & techn came frm martial efforts) Wed Apr 28 11:52:14 2010
183 The worst damage has been caused by competent people trying to do good;the best welfare has been brought by incompetent ones trying to harm. Wed Apr 28 11:41:01 2010
182 Social media are antisocial health foods are empirically unhealthy knowledge workers are ignorant & social sciences aren’t scientific Tue Apr 27 18:38:11 2010
181 …and with businessbooks I skip both the text & the footnotes. Tue Apr 27 13:52:28 2010
180 With regular books I read the text & skip the footnotes; with those written by academics I read the footnotes & skip the text. Tue Apr 27 09:45:46 2010
179 I lost my moleskine-style notebook with 60 unpublished aphorisms on Lufthansa Dusseldorf-Newark Friday. I don’t know if it is good or bad. Tue Apr 27 00:12:23 2010
178 There are two types of people; those who try to win and those who try to win arguments. They are never the same. (Wisdom of Fat Tony) Mon Apr 26 18:23:20 2010
177 You are guaranteed a repetition when you hear the declaration “never again”. Sun Apr 25 23:43:55 2010
176 When someone starts a sentence with “simply” you should expect to hear something very complicated. Sun Apr 25 20:49:39 2010
175 Nothing is more permanent than “temporary” arrangements deficits truces& relationships;& nothing is more temporary than “permanent” ones. Sun Apr 25 20:07:04 2010
174 People usually apologize so they can do it again. Sun Apr 25 13:26:33 2010
173 Those who do not think that employment is systemic slavery are either blind or employed. Sun Apr 25 11:04:45 2010
172 Just like poets and artists bureaucrats are born not made; it takes normal humans extraordinary effort to keep attention on such tasks Sat Apr 24 21:46:04 2010
171 An AntiPlatonist finding new treasures in Plato note 128 http://TwitPWR.com/HWI/ Sat Apr 24 13:35:10 2010
170 (cont) …filmmakers to impress other filmmakers painters to impress art dealers; but authors who write to impress book editors fail! Fri Apr 23 22:05:30 2010
169 Costs of specialization:Architects build to impress othr archtcts;models are thin to impress othr models;academics to impress othr acdmcs… Fri Apr 23 19:50:34 2010
168 @Erwan_Le_Corre Just as smooth surfaces comptve sports and specializd. work fossilize the mind-body compttve academia fossilizes the soul Fri Apr 23 09:41:27 2010
167 @yzilber There is no strictly “rational” definition of “rationality” which is why I cringe when I hear the word used by social scientists. Fri Apr 23 08:58:32 2010
166 @yzilber Compliance with the straightjacket of narrow (Aristotelian) logic & avoidance of fatal inconsistencies are not the same thing. Fri Apr 23 08:48:10 2010
165 Attendd a symposium named after a drinking party in whch nonnerds talked abt love; alas no drinking but mercifully nobody talked abt love Fri Apr 23 06:24:22 2010
164 The most painful moments are not those spent with uninteresting people; it is with uninteresting people trying to be interesting. Thu Apr 22 16:24:13 2010
163 Another Fat Tony sucker problem:It is as difficult to change someone’s opinions as it is to change his tastes. Thu Apr 22 15:55:22 2010
162 Erwan Le Corre the most “naturally fit” man on the planet Note 127 http://TwitPWR.com/HIs/ Wed Apr 21 14:29:23 2010
161 Hatred is much harder to fake than love. You hear of fake love; never of fake hate. Wed Apr 21 00:36:21 2010
160 Hatred is much harder to fake than love. Tue Apr 20 20:42:17 2010
159 To value a person is consider the difference between how impressive he/she was at the first encounter & at the most recent one. Tue Apr 20 16:42:25 2010
158 Upon arriving to the hotel the fellow had a porter carry his luggage; I later saw him lifting weights in the gym. (Generalized Ludic fallacy Tue Apr 20 13:03:27 2010
157 It seems that it is the most unsuccessful people who give the most advice particularly for writing and financial matters. Tue Apr 20 12:27:39 2010
156 The sucker’s trap is when you focus on what you know and what others don’t know rather than the reverse. Tue Apr 20 12:12:47 2010
155 Real mathematicians understand completeness; real philosophers understand incompleteness; the rest don’t really understand anything Tue Apr 20 00:24:42 2010
154 (How? errors in SPACE prgrm are Gaussian;errors in fields that matter are Black-Gray-Swannish; govts hve exhstd the Gaussian domains).Sorry Mon Apr 19 22:55:18 2010
153 Sadly Obama talking ab going to Moon/Mars (linear domain) when we know nothing abt the complex (volcanos econ climate).SPACE builds hubris Mon Apr 19 22:26:56 2010
152 You can be certain that the CEO of a corp has a lot to worry about when he announces publicly that “there is nothing to worry about”. Mon Apr 19 13:09:00 2010
151 3-Corrol: Same with happiness; we don’t know what it means how to reach it but we know extremely well how to avoid unhappiness. Mon Apr 19 00:18:25 2010
150 The most depressing thing about couples arguing in a restaurant is that they are almost always unaware of the true subject of argument. Sun Apr 18 22:46:13 2010
149 2-Corollary: The best way to spot a charlatan: someone who tells you what to do instead of what NOT to do. (Stockbrokers Consultants…) Sun Apr 18 22:05:41 2010
148 1- Knowledge is subtractive not additive; what we subtract (reduction by what does not work what NOT to do) not what we add (what to do) Sun Apr 18 22:03:36 2010
147 The best test of robustness to reputational damage is your emotional state (fear joy boredom) when you get an email from a journalist.(GS) Sun Apr 18 14:55:25 2010
146 You can only convince those persons who can benefit from being convinced. Sun Apr 18 14:41:26 2010
145 People used to wear ordinary clothes weekdays and formal attire on Sunday. Today it is the exact reverse. [Sacred & Profane] Sun Apr 18 13:25:23 2010
144 2- If you know in the morning what your day looks like with any precision you are a little bit dead -the more precision the more dead. Sun Apr 18 13:00:28 2010
143 (answr) Not rewarmed Rousseau rather to borrow the expr. putting back Plato on his feet (he stand on his head)& systematzng Nietzsche Sat Apr 17 20:13:30 2010
142 @johndurant @Erwan_Le_Corre 2- If you know in the morning what your day looks like with any precision you are a little bit dead. Sat Apr 17 12:19:00 2010
141 1- We are Paleo hunters; only truly ALIVE in these moments when we improvise; no schedule just small surprises & stimuli frm envrmnt. Sat Apr 17 12:14:48 2010
140 Badmouthing is the only genuine expression of admiration. Fri Apr 16 14:48:51 2010
139 The test of whether you really liked a book is if you reread it –the rest is spin -UPDATED http://TwitPWR.com/Hkd/ Thu Apr 15 21:09:37 2010
138 There is no intermediate state between ice & water but there one is between life & death: employment. Thu Apr 15 20:15:03 2010
137 I trust people who make a living lying down or standing up more than those who do so sitting down. (From a flaneur who reads in bed (revisd) Thu Apr 15 19:31:29 2010
136 The opposite of enemy is a dull life. Thu Apr 15 18:12:25 2010
135 People often need to suspend their self-promotion; someone in their lives they do not need to impress. This explains dog ownership. Thu Apr 15 11:16:35 2010
134 @drebesd no Nietzsche while great stylist did not have Plato’s clarity & systematizing mind; NOBODY Anti-Platonist comes close to Plato Wed Apr 14 20:21:14 2010
133 Hatred is love with a typo somewhere in the computer code correctable but very hard to find. Wed Apr 14 19:45:25 2010
132 In 2500 y no human came w/ the brilliance depth elegance wit& imagination matching Plato to displace him & protect us from Pl legacy. Wed Apr 14 19:03:10 2010
131 @tom_peters I agree; it is harmless to entertain philistines who would otherwise be into sports econ books have caused harm. Wed Apr 14 11:51:36 2010
130 Biz books: a category invntd by bookstores for writngs that have no depth no style no empirical rigor & no linguistic sophistication Wed Apr 14 10:53:05 2010
129 The economy in brief: they are calmly waiting in line to be slaughtered while thinking it is for a Broadway show. Tue Apr 13 18:40:53 2010
128 Hard science gives sensational results with a horribly boring process; philosophy gives boring results with a (cont) http://tl.gd/rafdb Mon Apr 12 14:36:47 2010
127 Technology’s double punishment is to make us both age prematurely and live longer. Mon Apr 12 11:26:30 2010
126 You can replace lies with truth; but myth is only displaced with a narrative. Sun Apr 11 17:19:50 2010
125 They agree that chess training only improves chess skills but disagree that classroom training (almost) only improves classroom skills. Sun Apr 11 15:59:59 2010
124 Never rid someone of an illusion unless you can replace it in his mind with another illusion. Sun Apr 11 11:43:16 2010
123 (Cont) The beauty of conscious ignorance if you can practice it is that it makes things infinite. Sat Apr 10 21:45:33 2010
122 @blackswanreport Thanks; I gave them a bland 15 min summary of my old problemabsolutely nothing new. Sat Apr 10 21:44:15 2010
121 Something finite but with unknown upper bound is epistemically equivalent to something infinite. I call this epistemic Infinity. Sat Apr 10 21:42:11 2010
120 To be a philosopher is to know by reasoning and reasoning only what others can only learn from their mistakes. Fri Apr 09 19:17:45 2010
119 For everything I use boredom in place of a clock as a biological wristwatch under constraints of politeness. Fri Apr 09 16:20:05 2010
118 You are rich if and only if money you refuse tastes better than money you accept. Fri Apr 09 13:37:01 2010
117 I wonder if crooks can conceive that honest people can be shrewder than them. Fri Apr 09 11:00:00 2010
116 Note 122 in the notebook http://TwitPWR.com/GOE/ Fri Apr 09 00:21:12 2010
115 (Cont) An individual has a conscience feels shame & honor. The collective (institutions) does not aggregate them -despicable bureaucrats. Thu Apr 08 13:01:37 2010
114 Institutions can’t have the same virtues (honor truthfulness courage loyalty tenacity generosity) as individuals. It makes us fragile. Thu Apr 08 12:23:10 2010
113 What makes us fragile is that institutions cannot have the same virtues (honor truthfulness courage loyalty tenacity) as individuals. Thu Apr 08 12:16:26 2010
112 I trust everyone except those who tell me they are trustworthy. Wed Apr 07 21:03:45 2010
111 Technology is the unrelenting mollification of man that self-inflicted injury… Wed Apr 07 13:44:06 2010
110 Help! Help! I have to concentrate all my problems in one slogan –and 15 minutes Need suggstions. Thanks followers http://TwitPWR.com/GEf/ Tue Apr 06 19:34:20 2010
109 A genius is someone with flaws harder to imitate than his qualities. Tue Apr 06 14:32:30 2010
108 It is easier to disguise ignorance than knowledge. Tue Apr 06 13:07:51 2010
107 It is the appearance of inconsistency& not its absence that makes people attractive. [why they put Socrates to death] Sun Apr 04 18:50:05 2010
106 It is the appearance of inconsistency& not its absence that makes people attractive. Sun Apr 04 17:19:16 2010
105 Some reticent people use silence to conceal their intelligence; but most do so to hide the lack of it. (Revised) Sun Apr 04 14:39:20 2010
104 Some reserved people use silence to hide their intelligence; but most do so to conceal the lack of it. Sun Apr 04 13:45:54 2010
103 Usually what we call “good listener” is someone with skillfully polished indifference. Sat Apr 03 15:50:01 2010
102 The three most harmful addictions are heroin carbohydrates and a monthly salary. Fri Apr 02 17:45:51 2010
101 Before checking the news today check how much the 400-700 hours of nongossip media exposure in 2007 helped you make sense of 2008 etc. Fri Apr 02 12:24:17 2010
100 Platonic minds expect life to be like film w defined endings.APlatonic ones expect film to be life & except fr death distrust all ending Thu Apr 01 23:47:23 2010
99 The opposite of success isn’t failure it is name dropping. (There are no obj definitions of failure & success there are for …) Thu Apr 01 19:35:37 2010
98 Most of what they call humility is successfully disguised arrogance. Thu Apr 01 15:40:32 2010
97 The tragedy of virtue is that the more boring unoriginal and sermonizing the proverb/tweet the harder it is to implement. Wed Mar 31 14:29:36 2010
96 To see if you like where you live: check if you are as happy returning as you were leaving. Also applies to work/relationships… Wed Mar 31 14:04:17 2010
95 My problem of knowledge is that there are many more books on birds written by ornithologists than books on birds written by birds. [OPACITY] Wed Mar 31 00:28:50 2010
94 Mathematics is to knowledge what an artificial hand is to the real one. Do not amputate to replace. Tue Mar 30 21:53:52 2010
93 Pomponius Atticus severely ill tried the Stoic way to take his own life. Having chosen starvation he was cured of his illness. Tue Mar 30 11:01:43 2010
92 Pure generosity is when you help the ingrate. Every other form is self-serving [Cont:genrosity/Kantian ethics] Mon Mar 29 14:50:33 2010
91 For the ancients forecasting historical events was an insult to the God(s); for me it is an insult to science. Mon Mar 29 13:24:09 2010
90 A maxim/tweet allows me to have the last word without even starting a conversation. Sun Mar 28 21:42:42 2010
89 Since Cato the 1st sign of aging is when one starts blaming the new generatn for “shallowness” & praising the previous one for its “values” Sun Mar 28 21:38:18 2010
88 No author should be considered as having failed until he starts writing about writing. Sun Mar 28 15:29:41 2010
87 The tragedy of the information age is that the toxicity of data increases much faster than its benefits. Worse (cont) http://tl.gd/ldno7 Sun Mar 28 13:10:01 2010
86 Unrequited hate is vastly more diminishing for the self than unrequited love. You can’t react by demonizing. Sat Mar 27 18:29:23 2010
85 I may forgive someone for harming me; I can’t possibly forgive anyone for boring me. Sat Mar 27 18:08:06 2010
84 (comm2: Nothing wrong with “generous” acts with “warm glow” or salvation; they are not to be linguistically conflated with deontic actions) Sat Mar 27 17:02:11 2010
83 (Comment: A generous act is precisely what should aim at NO reward neither financial nor social nor emotional; deontic not utilitarian) Sat Mar 27 16:48:57 2010
82 I wonder if those who advocate generosity for its rewards notice the inconsistency or if wt they call generosity is an investment strategy Sat Mar 27 16:35:57 2010
81 Just as there are authors who enjoy “having written” and others whp enjoy writing there are books you (cont) http://tl.gd/l4h9r Sat Mar 27 16:15:13 2010
80 Ralph Nader incorruptible: this is the 2nd time in my life I encounter someone who does not have any fake cell (cont) http://tl.gd/l2gkv Sat Mar 27 13:15:33 2010
79 (For those too slow to get my point: we gloss over great financial crimes (bankers) great cases of incompetence (Bernanke et econ establ).. Fri Mar 26 21:49:33 2010
78 Mediocre men tend to be outraged by small insults but passive subdued & silent in front of very large ones Fri Mar 26 21:01:51 2010
77 True humility is when you can surprise yourself more than others; the rest is either shyness or good marketing. Fri Mar 26 15:30:17 2010
76 Since Plato Western thought has focused on True/False; high time to shift it to Robust/Fragile & social epistemology to Sucker/Nonsucker Fri Mar 26 14:36:49 2010
75 Economics cannot digest the idea that the collective (& the aggregate) are disproportionately less predictable than individuals Fri Mar 26 12:12:16 2010
74 People reserve standard compliments to those who do not threaten their pride; the others they praise by calling “arrogant” Fri Mar 26 12:00:58 2010
73 The imagination of the genius vastly surpasses his intellect; the intellect of the academic vastly surpasses his imagination Thu Mar 25 20:17:01 2010
72 The 4 most influential modrns Darwin Marx Freud & (early) Einstein were scholars but not academics. Hard to do genuine wrk w institutions Thu Mar 25 19:42:44 2010
71 It is easier to remember your emails that were not answered than emails you did not answer Thu Mar 25 18:12:24 2010
70 A good tweet/maxim shd 1) surprise you 2) be true (countrintuitv) & 3) be symmetric (one assertion one negation) or rythmic Thu Mar 25 16:42:17 2010
69 The fool views himself more unique and others more generic; the wise views himself more generic and others more unique Thu Mar 25 16:29:25 2010
68 Corrollary: Someone who says “I am busy” is either declaring incompetence (and lack of control of his life) or trying to get rid of you. Thu Mar 25 15:11:37 2010
67 Only in recent history has “working hard” signaled pride rather than shame for lack of talent finesse & mostly sprezzatura Thu Mar 25 12:14:20 2010
66 Academia is to knowledge what prostitution is to love; close enough on the surface but to the nonsucker not exactly the same thing [2nd ed Wed Mar 24 20:05:13 2010
65 Rumors are only valuable when they are denied. Tue Mar 23 19:03:30 2010
64 You only way to know whether you liked a book is if you re-read it -the rest is spin www.fooledbyrandomness.com/favbooks.html Fri Mar 19 12:08:58 2010
63 Writers are remembered for their best work politicians for their worst mistakes; & businessmen are almst never remembered. [repost/error] Mon Mar 15 13:10:05 2010
62 The 20th C was the bankruptcy of the social utopia. The 21st will be that of the technological one. [From one Procrustean bed to another.] Sun Mar 14 12:53:08 2010
61 In nature we never repeat the same motion. In captivity (office gym commute sports) life is just repetitive stress injury. No randomness Sat Mar 13 17:51:36 2010
60 Using as excuse others’ failure of common sense is in itself a failure of common sense. Fri Mar 12 17:33:19 2010
59 Dubai borrowed to put vanity buildings on postcards; America and W. Europe need to borrow to just survive. Fri Mar 12 12:52:12 2010
58 We unwittingly amplify commonalities with friends dissimilarities with strangers & contrasts with enemies. Thu Mar 11 23:30:16 2010
57 The mark of a mediocre mind is the subdued and passive reaction in front of the truly exceptional. Thu Mar 11 19:32:22 2010
56 [Explanation: The biggest error since Socrates has been to believe that lack of clarity is the SOURCE of all our ills not the result. ] Wed Mar 10 19:22:28 2010
55 Mental clarity is the child of courage not the other way around. Wed Mar 10 19:07:42 2010
54 What they call play (gym travel) looks like work;what I call work (effortless daydreaming) looks like play.They lose freedom trying harder. Wed Mar 10 11:27:38 2010
53 The differences between Goldman Sachs & the mafia: GS has a better legal-regulatory expertise; but the mafia understands public opinion. Tue Mar 09 15:13:17 2010
52 Common minds find similarities in stories (& situations) finer minds detect differences [Essay on the Universal & the Particular] Mon Mar 08 08:47:00 2010
51 I wish to say some day about someone “Voilà un homme!” as Napoleon said upon meeting Goethe: mixture of passion & intellect (& elegance too) Sun Mar 07 13:45:20 2010
50 Ãœbermen tolerate others’ small inconsistencies though not the large ones;losers tolerate others’ large inconsistencies though not small ones Fri Mar 05 14:16:58 2010
49 If you want people to read a book tell them it is overrated. Sun Feb 28 21:07:15 2010
48 Their sabbatical is to work six days and rest for one; my sabbatical is to work for (part of) a day and rest for six. Sun Feb 28 15:05:56 2010
47 City-states organize by tinkering; nation-states produce bureaucracies empty suits Bernankes deficits and the toobigtofail. Too obvious. Sat Feb 27 14:49:33 2010
46 answ:[ If you can't detect (w/out understanding) the difference betw sacred & profane you'll never know what religion means. Same with art ] Fri Feb 26 15:36:29 2010
45 Atheism/materialism means treating the dead as if they were unborn. I won’t. By respecting the sacred you reinvent religion. Fri Feb 26 12:47:14 2010
44 I wonder if a lion (or a cannibal) would pay a high premium for free-range humans. [modern bondage] Thu Feb 25 16:00:39 2010
43 Writing is the art of repeating oneself without anyone noticing. Wed Feb 24 20:40:59 2010
42 You know you have influence when people start noticing your absence more than the presence of others. Tue Feb 23 23:26:43 2010
41 Dream to be a janitor in a philosophy department came true! http://fooledbyrandomness.com/philo-lecture.htm Tue Feb 23 19:07:00 2010
40 (cont)… what they call literature I call journalism; what they call journalism I call gossip & what they call gossip I call voyeurism. Tue Feb 23 15:54:34 2010
39 How superb to become wise without being boring; how sad to be boring without being wise [Bernanke]. Mon Feb 22 11:30:39 2010
38 The role of the media is best seen in the journey from Cato the elder to Sarah Palin. Do some extrapolation if you want to be scared. Sun Feb 21 12:12:23 2010
37 [Ethics Cognitive Dissonnance & Diffusion of Responsibility Chap why we need to worry about econ "risk experts" & other charlatans] Sun Feb 21 11:49:23 2010
36 Ethical man accords his profession to his beliefs instead of according his beliefs to his profession. Rarer and rarer since middle ages. Sun Feb 21 11:35:32 2010
35 Most people write so they can remember things; I write so I can forget them. Sat Feb 20 20:29:06 2010
34 Corollary to Moore’s laws: every ten years collective wisdom degrades by half. Sat Feb 20 17:58:08 2010
33 I wonder whether a bitter enemy would be jealous if he discovered that I hated someone else. Sat Feb 20 17:25:52 2010
32 What they call philosophy I call literature; what they call literature I call journalism; and what they call journalism I call gossip. Sat Feb 20 15:58:23 2010
31 It is much harder to be a Stoic when wealthy powerful and respected than when destitute miserable and lonely. [s. VII] Sat Feb 20 15:37:55 2010
30 Academics are only useful when they try to be useless and dangerous when they try to be useful. Sat Feb 20 13:03:47 2010
29 Success is to be in middle adulthood what you dreamed to be in late childhood. The rest comes from loss of control. Sat Feb 20 10:42:44 2010
28 A good foe is far more loyal far more predictable and to the clever far more useful than any admirer Fri Feb 19 23:16:22 2010
27 You will get the most attention from those who hate you. No friend no admirer and no partner will flatter you with equal curiosity. Fri Feb 19 22:27:53 2010
26 Mediterraneans scorn instructions but bow to authority; Anglo-Saxons bow to instructions but scorn authority. Fri Feb 19 21:25:00 2010
25 Most modern technologies are deferred punishment. Fri Feb 19 20:48:45 2010
24 Evolution does not teach by convincing but by destroying. [Fat Tony on why Robert Merton univ tenures in econ and bailouts are dangers] Fri Feb 19 15:55:50 2010
23 The Stoic sage shd withdraw frm public efforts when unheeded & state is corrupt beyond repair.[Seneca] Wiser to wait for selfdestruction. Fri Feb 19 11:26:47 2010
22 There is nothing deemed harmful (in general) that cannot be beneficial in some particular instances. Universals are weaker under complexity. Thu Feb 18 23:18:31 2010
21 The average of expectations is typically > than the expectation of averages. (“Don’t cross a river because it is on average 4 f deep”) Thu Feb 18 13:04:13 2010
20 Medieval man was a cog in a wheel he did not understand; modern man is a cog in a more complicated system he thinks he understands. [Ch. 5] Thu Feb 18 11:47:25 2010
19 Giving businessreaders my book: like giving vintage Bordeaux to drinkers of Diet Coke and listening to their comments about it [TBS-2nd ed] Thu Feb 18 11:21:47 2010
18 They will envy you for your success for your wealth for your intelligence for your looks for your status –but rarely for your wisdom Wed Feb 17 21:49:24 2010
17 The idea is to NEVER answer critics just aim to stay in print –make sure people will be reading me long after they are dead. Tue Feb 16 16:24:10 2010
16 Modernity: We created youth without heroism age without wisdom and life without grandeur. Tue Feb 16 11:53:34 2010
15 It is much easier to scam people for billions than for just millions. [on Madoff & US gov-1st Lesson in the Epistemology of Fat Tony] Sun Feb 14 10:46:52 2010
14 Charm lies in the unsaid the unwritten and the undisplayed. It takes mastery to control silence. Fri Feb 12 10:20:15 2010
13 We are better at (involuntarily) DOING out of the box than (voluntarily) THINKING out of the box. Thinking is just ornamental; for show-off Fri Feb 12 08:29:11 2010
12 I read nothing from the past 300 years; I drink nothing from the past 3000 years; but I talk to no ordinary man over 40. Thu Feb 11 12:09:21 2010
11 In science you need to understand the world; in business you need others to misunderstand it. Wed Feb 10 11:12:28 2010
10 CNBC journalists are imbeciles. “You need skills to get a BMW skills + luck to become a Buffet” -> into “Buffet has no skills”. Imbeciles. Tue Feb 09 14:04:24 2010
9 Edmund Phelps got the “Nobel” for writings no one reads theories no one uses and lectures no one understands. [Panel in Moscow] Mon Feb 08 10:38:16 2010
8 Education makes the wise slightly wiser but makes the fool vastly more dangerous. [Overconfidence Chapt 4] Mon Feb 08 10:11:03 2010
7 We ask “why is he rich (or poor)?” not “why isn’t he richer (poorer)?”;”why is the crisis so deep?” not “why isn’t it deeper?”. [Chapter 4] Sat Feb 06 18:50:03 2010
6 I trust those who earn their living lying on their back more than those who do so sitting on a chair (hint: I read in bed…) Mon Feb 01 18:13:00 2010
5 Don’t trust a man on a salary -except if it is minimum wage. Those on bondage & βάναυσοι would do anything to “feed a family”. [Chapter 3] Mon Feb 01 14:48:29 2010
4 I’d rather be a janitor in a philosophy department than Chaired Prof at Harvard Business School; or flaneur in NY than a hotshot at Davos Wed Jan 27 14:05:21 2010
3 I now take a hot bath after reading emails from businessmen or journalists; I then feel purified from the profane until the next email. Thu Jan 21 15:39:23 2010
2 We worry about “too big” but the biggest error-prone centralized top-down institution in the world is the US Gov. It is getting bigger. Tue Oct 06 22:16:46 2009
1 You cannot express the holy in terms made for the profane; but you can discuss the profane in terms made for the holy Wed Jul 08 00:16:04 2009