Doctor Quote by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
““It is a very recent disease to mistake the unobserved for the nonexistent; but some are plagued with the worse disease of mistaking the unobserved for the unobservable.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Black Swan, 2007
Mistaking what is unobserved for nonexistent is a modern disease; worse is treating the unobserved as unobservable.
In simple terms: Avoid ignoring unseen possibilities.
Question assumptions.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- research
- policy making
- risk assessment
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What do you assume you know?
- How to detect unseen risks?
Over‑reliance on data can blind to hidden factors.