--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What begins as a failure of the…" description: "\"“What begins as a failure of the imagination ends as a market inefficiency: when you rule out an entire class of people from doing a job simply by thei..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c2/michael-lewis-705_best-person_what-begins-as-a-failure-of-the-imaginat_1699868.jpg" --- # What begins as a failure of the imagination ends as a… ![“What begins as a failure of the imagination ends as a market inefficiency: when you rule out an entire class of people from doing a job simply by their appearance, you are less likely to find the best person for the job.” quote by Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c2/michael-lewis-705_best-person_what-begins-as-a-failure-of-the-imaginat_1699868.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c2/michael-lewis-705_best-person_what-begins-as-a-failure-of-the-imaginat_1699868.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c2/michael-lewis-705_best-person_what-begins-as-a-failure-of-the-imaginat_1699868.jpg) > ““What begins as a failure of the imagination ends as a market inefficiency: when you rule out an entire class of people from doing a job simply by their appearance, you are less likely to find the best person for the job.”” [Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Excluding people based on appearance creates market inefficiencies and hides talent. **In simple terms:** Bias harms markets and talent selection. Key Takeaway Avoid appearance‑based exclusion. Themes bias diversity efficiency talent market inclusion Mood critical analytical concerned Type advisory philosophical When to use this quote - Hiring practices - investment decisions - team building - policy design - educational admissions Key Concepts Economic theory social psychology human capital Questions to Reflect On - How might you identify hidden talent? - What policies can reduce appearance bias? A Different Perspective Bias can be unconscious and institutional, making change hard. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Investing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investing/) [Productivity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/productivity/) ## Related quotes > [The inability to envision a certain kind of person doing a certain kind of thing because you've never seen someone who looks like him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/the-inability-to-envision-a-certain-kind-of-person-doing-a-certain/) [Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/) > [Your possibilities end when your imagination ends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/biman-gandhi/your-possibilities-end-when-your-imagination-ends/) [Biman Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/biman-gandhi/) > [“For most of my life, I have desired a category, a designation, but maybe that desire was misplaced? 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