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Goals Quote by Daniel Kahneman

“We focus on our goal, anchor on our plan, and neglect relevant base rates, exposing ourselves to the planning fallacy. We focus on what we want to do and can do, neglecting the plans and skills of others. Both in explaining the past and in predicting the future, we focus on the causal role of…” quote by Daniel Kahneman
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““We focus on our goal, anchor on our plan, and neglect relevant base rates, exposing ourselves to the planning fallacy. We focus on what we want to do and can do, neglecting the plans and skills of others. Both in explaining the past and in predicting the future, we focus on the causal role of skill and neglect the role of luck. We are therefore prone to an illusion of control. We focus on what we know and neglect what we do not know, which makes us overly confident in our beliefs.””

Daniel Kahneman

About This Quote

Source Book: Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman, 2011

People overestimate their control and skill while ignoring statistical realities, leading to overconfidence and planning errors.

In simple terms: We ignore base rates and luck, overestimating our abilities.

Key Takeaway

Recognize limits, seek data, adjust expectations.

Themes

cognition bias decision making confidence probability

Mood

reflective analytical

Type

advice psychology

When to use this quote

  • project planning
  • personal finance
  • risk assessment
  • career decisions

Key Concepts

planning fallacy illusion of control overconfidence base rate neglect

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do you incorporate base rates into decisions?
  • What role does luck play in your successes?
A Different Perspective

Neglecting external factors can still cause failure despite adjustments.

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