--- title: "2 Moral compass Quotes By Steven D. Levitt" description: "2 Moral compass quotes by Steven D. Levitt. Plus more from Steven D. Levitt and more Moral compass sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f7/steven-d-levitt-5284_gun-control_when-it-comes-to-solving-problems-one-of_405738.jpg" --- > [“When it comes to solving problems, one of the best ways to start is by putting away your moral compass. Why? When you are consumed with the rightness or wrongness of a given issue—whether it’s fracking or gun control or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/when-it-comes-to-solving-problems-one-of-the-best-ways-to-start-is-by/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f7/steven-d-levitt-5284_gun-control_when-it-comes-to-solving-problems-one-of_405738.jpg) > [“One thing we’ve learned is that when people, especially politicians, start making decisions based on a reading of their moral compass, facts tend to be among the first casualties.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/one-thing-we-ve-learned-is-that-when-people-especially-politicians/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/595/steven-d-levitt-5284_art-making_one-thing-we-ve-learned-is-that-when-peo_2666547.jpg) ## Other authors on Moral compass - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b001/author-abhijit-naskar-99.jpg) Abhijit Naskar 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-compass/abhijit-naskar/) ## More by Steven D. Levitt > [“Here is the broader point: whatever problem you're trying to solve, make sure you're not just attacking the noisy part of the problem that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/here-is-the-broader-point-whatever-problem-you-re-trying-to-solve/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) > [“Human beings, for all our accomplishments, can be fragile animals. Most of us don't take criticism well at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/human-beings-for-all-our-accomplishments-can-be-fragile-animals-most/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) > [“The ECLS data do show, for instance, that a child with a lot of books in his home tends to test higher than a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/the-ecls-data-do-show-for-instance-that-a-child-with-a-lot-of-books/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) > [“In a complex world where people can be atypical in an infinite number of ways, there is great value in discovering the baseline. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/in-a-complex-world-where-people-can-be-atypical-in-an-infinite-number/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) > [“Morning robberies yield far more than afternoon robberies . . .' - When to Rob a Bank: A Rouge Economist's Guide to the World…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/morning-robberies-yield-far-more-than-afternoon-robberies-when-to-rob/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) > [“The more complex a problem is, the harder it is to capture good feedback. You can gather a lot of facts, and that may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/the-more-complex-a-problem-is-the-harder-it-is-to-capture-good/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) > [ “\[...\]if you are hoping to damage opponents' mental health, go ahead and tell them how inferior or dim-witted or nasty they are. But even… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/if-you-are-hoping-to-damage-opponents-mental-health-go-ahead-and-tell/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) > [“If asked how we'd behave in a situation that pits a private benefit against the greater good, most of us won't admit to favoring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/if-asked-how-we-d-behave-in-a-situation-that-pits-a-private-benefit/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) > [“The impulse to investigate can only be set free if you stop pretending to know answers that you don't. Because the incentives to pretend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/the-impulse-to-investigate-can-only-be-set-free-if-you-stop/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) > [“From 2002 to 2008, the United States was fighting bloody wars in Afghanistan and Iraq; among active military personnel, there were an average 1,643…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/from-2002-to-2008-the-united-states-was-fighting-bloody-wars-in/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) > [“But if you are hell-bent on persuading someone, or if your back is truly against the wall, you might as well give it your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/but-if-you-are-hell-bent-on-persuading-someone-or-if-your-back-is/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) > [“Just because you're great at something doesn't mean you're good at everything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/just-because-you-re-great-at-something-doesn-t-mean-you-re-good-at/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) > [“For until you can admit what you don't yet know, it's virtually impossible to learn what you need to.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/for-until-you-can-admit-what-you-don-t-yet-know-it-s-virtually/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) > [“Sometimes in life, going straight up the middle is the boldest move of all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/sometimes-in-life-going-straight-up-the-middle-is-the-boldest-move-of/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) > [“When it comes to solving problems, one of the best ways to start is by putting away your moral compass. Why? When you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/when-it-comes-to-solving-problems-one-of-the-best-ways-to-start-is-by/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-compass/steven-d-levitt/#itemlist", "name": "2 Moral compass Quotes By Steven D. Levitt", "numberOfItems": 2, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When it comes to solving problems, one of the best ways to start is by putting away your moral compass. Why? When you are consumed with the rightness or wrongness of a given issue—whether it’s fracking or gun control or genetically engineered food—it’s easy to lose track of what the issue actually is. A moral compass can convince you that all the answers are obvious (even when they’re not); that there is a bright line between right and wrong (when often there isn’t); and, worst, that you are certain you already know everything you need to know about a subject so you stop trying to learn more.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steven D. Levitt" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/when-it-comes-to-solving-problems-one-of-the-best-ways-to-start-is-by/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f7/steven-d-levitt-5284_gun-control_when-it-comes-to-solving-problems-one-of_405738.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f7/steven-d-levitt-5284_gun-control_when-it-comes-to-solving-problems-one-of_405738.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f7/steven-d-levitt-5284_gun-control_when-it-comes-to-solving-problems-one-of_405738.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When it comes to solving problems, one of the best ways to start is by putting away your moral compass. Why?…” — Steven D. Levitt", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“One thing we’ve learned is that when people, especially politicians, start making decisions based on a reading of their moral compass, facts tend to be among the first casualties.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steven D. Levitt" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/one-thing-we-ve-learned-is-that-when-people-especially-politicians/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/595/steven-d-levitt-5284_art-making_one-thing-we-ve-learned-is-that-when-peo_2666547.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/595/steven-d-levitt-5284_art-making_one-thing-we-ve-learned-is-that-when-peo_2666547.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/595/steven-d-levitt-5284_art-making_one-thing-we-ve-learned-is-that-when-peo_2666547.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“One thing we’ve learned is that when people, especially politicians, start making decisions based on a…” — Steven D. Levitt", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "CollectionPage", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-compass/steven-d-levitt/#webpage", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-compass/steven-d-levitt/", "name": "Moral compass Quotes by Steven D. Levitt", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-compass/steven-d-levitt/#itemlist" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f7/steven-d-levitt-5284_gun-control_when-it-comes-to-solving-problems-one-of_405738.jpg" }, "description": "2 Moral compass quotes by Steven D. Levitt. Plus more from Steven D. Levitt and more Moral compass sayings from other authors.", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-compass/steven-d-levitt/#breadcrumb" } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-compass/steven-d-levitt/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Topics", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Moral Compass", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-compass/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "name": "Steven D. Levitt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-compass/steven-d-levitt/" } ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```