Nisim Hurst

“The failure to think clearly, or what experts call a ‘cognitive error’, is a systematic deviation from logic – from optimal, rational, reasonable thought and behaviour. By ‘systematic’ I mean that these are not just occasional errors in judgement, but rather routine mistakes, barriers to logic we stumble over time and again, repeating patterns through generations and through the centuries. For example, it is much more common that we overestimate our knowledge than that we underestimate it.”
― Rolf Dobelli, The Art of Thinking Clearly: The Secrets of Perfect Decision-Making

“14- LA VIDA ES UN BANQUETE Recuerda que debes portarte en la vida como en un banquete. Si te acercan un plato, extiende tu mano y cógelo con modestia. Si alejan un plato de ti, no lo retengas. Si aún no te ha llegado el plato, no hagas conocer de lejos que lo deseas, sino que espera con paciencia hasta que lo acerquen. Pórtate así con tu mujer y tus hijos, con los cargos y las dignidades, con los honores y las riquezas; entonces serás digno de ser admitido en la mesa de los dioses. Y si pudiendo gozar de estos bienes los desechas y desprecias, no sólo serás convidados por los dioses, sino que reinarás con ellos.”
― Arrian, Manual para ser Feliz: Enquiridión

“To control a rat infestation, French colonial rulers in Hanoi in the nineteenth century passed a law: for every dead rat handed in to the authorities, the catcher would receive a reward. Yes, many rats were destroyed, but many were also bred specially for this purpose. In 1947, when the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered, archaeologists set a finder’s fee for each new parchment. Instead of lots of extra scrolls being found, they were simply torn apart to increase the reward. Similarly, in China in the nineteenth century, an incentive was offered for finding dinosaur bones. Farmers located a few on their land, broke them into pieces and cashed in. Modern incentives are no better: company boards promise bonuses for achieved targets. And what happens? Managers invest more energy in trying to lower the targets than in growing the business. These are examples of the incentive super-response tendency. Credited to Charlie Munger, this titanic name describes a rather trivial observation: people respond to incentives by doing what is in their best interests.”
― Rolf Dobelli, The Art of Thinking Clearly: The Secrets of Perfect Decision-Making

“I must be myself. I cannot break myself any longer for you, or you. If you can love me for what I am, we shall be the happier. If you cannot, I will still seek to deserve that you should. I will not hide my tastes or aversions. I will so trust that what is deep is holy, that I will do strongly before the sun and moon whatever inly rejoices me, and the heart appoints. If you are noble, I will love you; if you are not, I will not hurt you and myself by hypocritical attentions. If you are true, but not in the same truth with me, cleave to your companions; I will seek my own. I do this not selfishly, but humbly and truly. It is alike your interest, and mine, and all men’s, however long we have dwelt in lies, to live in truth. Does this sound harsh to-day? You will soon love what is dictated by your nature as well as mine, and, if we follow the truth, it will bring us out safe at last. — But so you may give these friends pain. Yes, but I cannot sell my liberty and my power, to save their sensibility. Besides, all persons have their moments of reason, when they look out into the region of absolute truth; then will they justify me, and do the same thing.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance & Other Essays