Every social association that is not face-to-face is injurious to your health

— Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Failure saves lives. In the airline industry, every time a plane crashes the probability of the next crash is lowered by that. The Titanic saved lives because we're building bigger and bigger ships. So these people died, but we have effectively improved the safety of the system, and nothing failed in vain.

— Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Globalization has created this interlocking fragility. At no time in the history of the universe has the cancellation of a Christmas order in New York meant layoffs in China.

— Nassim Nicholas Taleb

I drive a hybrid, moving into an electric car. I only drink tap water, never consume food that's travelled.

— Nassim Nicholas Taleb

If the past, by bringing surprises, did not resemble the past previous to it (what I call the past's past), then why should our future resemble our current past?

— Nassim Nicholas Taleb

If you hear a "prominent" economist using the word 'equilibrium,' or 'normal distribution,' do not argue with him; just ignore him, or try to put a rat down his shirt.

— Nassim Nicholas Taleb

If you want to annoy a poet, explain his poetry.

— Nassim Nicholas Taleb

I'm in favor of religion as a tamer of arrogance. For a Greek Orthodox, the idea of God as creator outside the human is not God in God's terms. My God isn't the God of George Bush.

— Nassim Nicholas Taleb

In poor countries, officials receive explicit bribes; in D.C. they get the sophisticated, implicit, unspoken promise to work for large corporations

— Nassim Nicholas Taleb

In the past, only some of the males, but all the females, were able to procreate. Equality is more natural for females.

— Nassim Nicholas Taleb