We can be blind to the obvious, and we are also blind to our blindness.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes that we often overlook clear truths and are unaware of our own ignorance.
Daniel Kahneman highlights the human tendency to ignore evident facts and remain oblivious to our lack of understanding. He suggests that not only do we miss the obvious, but we also fail to recognize that we are missing it, which can lead to misguided beliefs and poor decision-making.
In practice
This quote can be used in a discussion about decision-making in business meetings.
We think, each of us, that we're much more rational than we are. And we think that we make our decisions because we have good reasons to make them. Even when it's the other way around. We believe in the reasons, because we've already made the decision.
The average investor's return is significantly lower than market indices due primarily to market timing.
Banks are run by executives, and executives protect themselves, and that does not always mean that banks are going to behave rationally.
Laziness is built deep into our nature.
Through some combination of culture and biology, our minds are intuitively receptive to religion.
You are more likely to learn something by finding surprises in your own behavior than by hearing surprising facts about people in general.
Speed is not part of the true Way of strategy. Speed implies that things seem fast or slow, according to whether or not they are in rhythm. Whatever the Way, the master of strategy does not appear fast.
The ultimate foundation of a free society is the binding tie of cohesive sentiment.
All men are by nature born equally free and independent.
Self-realization and self-fulfilment are the sine qua non for human existence.
Cowardice and courage are never without a measure of affectation. Nor is love. Feelings are never true. They play with their mirrors.
Christianity, whatever else it is, is an explosion. Unless it is sensational there is simply no sense in it. Unless the Gospel sounds like a gun going off it has not been uttered at all.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.