Nassim Nicholas Taleb Quotes
In science you need to understand the world; in business you need others to misunderstand it.
Quotes to Explore
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We are all focused each and every day on doing our jobs, chief executive of our states, until the very last hour that we are in office, and certainly the president is as well.
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We want a marriage with our customers, not a relationship.
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I studied the lives of jazz singers who would tour Europe, and... what I learned was life was big ride for them. They'd seen the dark side of humanity... but touring the world playing jazz, it was a truly carefree way of living. A great escapism, if you like.
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Maybe some people that only listen to electronic music will pick up my record and get turned on to some of the story songs, some of the more country-type stuff.
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Mental health needs a great deal of attention. It's the final taboo and it needs to be faced and dealt with.
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A test of a people is how it behaves toward the old. It is easy to love children. Even tyrants and dictators make a point of being fond of children. But the affection and care for the old, the incurable, the helpless are the true gold mines of a culture.
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I've written a screenplay that is a series of monologues and songs; they form this sort of human tapestry across time and place. The form is strange, but I find it really fascinating.
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Every single one of the guys that I've written songs about has been tracked down on MySpace by my fans.
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I used to love to create outfits, and I still do - I just don't have the time. How can you wear one thing and never wear it again? Even my wedding dress - I had a dress made that I could wear again. I'm a child of the depression, so I'm very, very practical.
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If at first you don't succeed, failure may be your style.
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My job is making money, helping other people make money. I am spending money, trying to make sure more people get rich, because you cannot spend a lot of money, right? So my job is spending money, helping others. This is a headache.
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I make my own face exfoliant at home, using finely ground rice powder mixed with milk or yogurt. I also treat my skin to a honey, rose water, glycerine and lemon face pack. The honey moisturises, and the lemon removes impurities.
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Well, my first languages are German and Spanish because I was brought up by a Spanish mother and a German father, so I always spoke both languages at home. I'm very thankful that I was brought up in a bilingual house.
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I'm like all parents who try to shelter their children.
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Where the stakes are the highest, in the war on terror, we cannot possibly succeed without extraordinary international cooperation. Effective international police actions require the highest degree of intelligence sharing, planning and collaborative enforcement.
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I feel Dress for Success is basically about empowering women who were in a disadvantaged situation. The act of wearing a suit when she's walking in the door, it's so powerful - it's about gaining control of their lives and situations.
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Happy the man when he has not the defects of his qualities.
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I've become invested with this symbolic power. It really does transcend what I'm actually doing and what I actually deserve.
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No doubt the ridiculous politicians are right to like politics. They have found careers in which success can be achieved by being ridiculous. Imagine Jimmy Carter or George W. Bush rising to the top of any other profession.
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We can search among the unconscious, emotion-laden learning rules for the kind of behavior most directly influenced by genetic evolution.
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I opened up for Richard Pryor in 1992. I had a conversation with him. All those other comedians can say what they want about what they did, but I opened up for the man. Paul Mooney and I are probably the only ones that can say that.
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I have many regrets and things I wish I could go back and change, but I have also worked hard and tried to improve myself.
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After having read a lot of fiction, literature, whatever you want to call it, from Wolfe to Houellebecq, I think you have to have an understanding and insight of the human condition that is informed and motivated by a desire to immerse yourself in the human world and bring these stories to bear.
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In science you need to understand the world; in business you need others to misunderstand it.
