--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A good rule of thumb is to assume that…" description: "\"A good rule of thumb is to assume that everything matters.\" — Richard Thaler" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/135/richard-thaler-3060_assume_a-good-rule-of-thumb-is-to-assume-that-e_2920146.png" --- # A good rule of thumb is to assume that everything matters. ![“A good rule of thumb is to assume that everything matters.” quote by Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/135/richard-thaler-3060_assume_a-good-rule-of-thumb-is-to-assume-that-e_2920146.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/135/richard-thaler-3060_assume_a-good-rule-of-thumb-is-to-assume-that-e_2920146.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/135/richard-thaler-3060_assume_a-good-rule-of-thumb-is-to-assume-that-e_2920146.png) > “A good rule of thumb is to assume that everything matters.” [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Assuming all factors matter encourages thorough analysis and better decision‑making. **In simple terms:** Everything matters, so consider all variables. Key Takeaway Examine all relevant details before deciding. Themes decision‑making analysis attention Mood thoughtful analytical Type advice reflective When to use this quote - business strategy - personal finance - policy design - risk assessment Key Concepts behavioral economics cognitive bias systems thinking Questions to Reflect On - What factors might you be overlooking? - How do you balance thoroughness with efficiency? A Different Perspective Over‑analysis can lead to paralysis by analysis. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Assume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assume/) [Assume Matters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assume-matters-4250471/) [Assuming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assuming/) [Good Rule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-rule-596616/) [Management](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/management/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Matters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matters/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) [Risk management](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk-management/) [Rule Thumb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rule-thumb-731839/) [Thumbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thumbs/) ## Related quotes > [You know, I think there's a good rule of thumb here: Don't take nutritional advice from other species.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/you-know-i-think-there-s-a-good-rule-of-thumb-here-don-t-take/) [Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/) > [It's a good rule of thumb, it seems to me: if you're not allowed to see where something comes from, don't put it in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/it-s-a-good-rule-of-thumb-it-seems-to-me-if-you-re-not-allowed-to-see/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [“A good rule of thumb was that the more noise someone was making the less likely they were to die.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-atkinson/a-good-rule-of-thumb-was-that-the-more-noise-someone-was-making-the/) [Kate Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-atkinson/) > [Here's a very good rule of thumb in politics: losing begets losing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-podhoretz/here-s-a-very-good-rule-of-thumb-in-politics-losing-begets-losing/) [John Podhoretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-podhoretz/) > [When it comes to risk, a good rule of thumb is: 'Would you do it if no one was watching?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laird-hamilton/when-it-comes-to-risk-a-good-rule-of-thumb-is-would-you-do-it-if-no/) [Laird Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laird-hamilton/) > [An old Zen rule of thumb is not to answer until one has been asked three times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joko-beck/an-old-zen-rule-of-thumb-is-not-to-answer-until-one-has-been-asked/) [Joko Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joko-beck/) > [My rule of thumb is build a site for a user, not a spider.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-naylor/my-rule-of-thumb-is-build-a-site-for-a-user-not-a-spider/) [David Naylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-naylor/) > [If I were to give one piece of advice, I would say to never accept anything that you hear or see at face value.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-gaines/if-i-were-to-give-one-piece-of-advice-i-would-say-to-never-accept/) [Ernest Gaines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-gaines/) > [Rule of thumb: Eat for what you're going to be doing, and not for what you have done. Don't take in more than you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-haney/rule-of-thumb-eat-for-what-you-re-going-to-be-doing-and-not-for-what/) [Lee Haney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-haney/) > [My rule of thumb is that I want to do things I'd like to go and see myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sheen/my-rule-of-thumb-is-that-i-want-to-do-things-i-d-like-to-go-and-see/) [Michael Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sheen/) > [Not to oversimplify it, somebody once said a good rule of thumb in interpreting a character is to find the good in the bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-byrne/not-to-oversimplify-it-somebody-once-said-a-good-rule-of-thumb-in/) [Gabriel Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-byrne/) > [If you want to be rich the rule of thumb is to teach others how to be rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/if-you-want-to-be-rich-the-rule-of-thumb-is-to-teach-others-how-to-be/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [And of course we are familiar with the English common law rule of thumb that said a man could in fact use a stick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-ireland/and-of-course-we-are-familiar-with-the-english-common-law-rule-of/) [Patricia Ireland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-ireland/) > [Ive always had this rule of thumb: If you have fun making it, then someone will have fun watching it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-starr/ive-always-had-this-rule-of-thumb-if-you-have-fun-making-it-then/) [Antony Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-starr/) > [A good rule of thumb for many things in life holds that things take longer to happen than you think they will, and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-summers/a-good-rule-of-thumb-for-many-things-in-life-holds-that-things-take/) [Lawrence Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-summers/) ## More by Richard Thaler > [The Nobel Prize is going to be 'fun money' - for an occasion, when my wife and I want a $50 bottle of wine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/the-nobel-prize-is-going-to-be-fun-money-for-an-occasion-when-my-wife/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [In some ways, the finding that financial education doesn't provide long-term payoffs is hardly surprising. After all, how much do you remember from your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/in-some-ways-the-finding-that-financial-education-doesn-t-provide/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [Fortunately, economists open to new ways of thinking are finding novel ways to use supposedly irrelevant factors to make the world a better place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/fortunately-economists-open-to-new-ways-of-thinking-are-finding-novel/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [If people just put away what's left at the end of the month, that's a recipe for failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/if-people-just-put-away-what-s-left-at-the-end-of-the-month-that-s-a/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [The wealth in many large estates has never been taxed because it is largely in the form of unrealized - therefore untaxed - capital…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/the-wealth-in-many-large-estates-has-never-been-taxed-because-it-is/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [The lesson of my field, behavioral economics, is that we need to understand the ways in which we differ from the rational human assumed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/the-lesson-of-my-field-behavioral-economics-is-that-we-need-to/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [I think behavioral economists don't have any more of an explanation about the rise of Trump than anyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/i-think-behavioral-economists-don-t-have-any-more-of-an-explanation/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [There are cases when I can make myself better off by restricting my future choices and commit myself to a specific course of action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/there-are-cases-when-i-can-make-myself-better-off-by-restricting-my/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [For amateur golfers, I think one of the biggest mistakes is to model their play on professionals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/for-amateur-golfers-i-think-one-of-the-biggest-mistakes-is-to-model/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [he card companies will often, as a courtesy, honor that credit card, but hit you with a penalty. And you keep swiping your card…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/he-card-companies-will-often-as-a-courtesy-honor-that-credit-card-but/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [We all need a lot of humility, and especially about the economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/we-all-need-a-lot-of-humility-and-especially-about-the-economy/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [Social Security may be the most beloved of all the government's programs, partly because it requires so little thinking. You pay taxes while you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/social-security-may-be-the-most-beloved-of-all-the-government-s/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [If you're trading individual securities, you're almost certainly making a mistake. Because most professional managers can't outperform their benchmarks, and there's little reason to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/if-you-re-trading-individual-securities-you-re-almost-certainly/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [A nudge is some feature of the environment that changes the behaviour of humans but would not change the behaviour of rational economic agents,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/a-nudge-is-some-feature-of-the-environment-that-changes-the-behaviour/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [One reason for high health care costs is that patients fail to follow their treatment regimen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/one-reason-for-high-health-care-costs-is-that-patients-fail-to-follow/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) [Explore all 141 Richard Thaler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) ## More Assume quotes > [We only call at ducks when their rear ends are towards us. If I'm looking at you and you call my name, then I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jase-robertson/we-only-call-at-ducks-when-their-rear-ends-are-towards-us-if-i-m/) [Jase Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jase-robertson/) > [Nobody really knows everything, and they can only assume.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/selena-gomez/nobody-really-knows-everything-and-they-can-only-assume/) [Selena Gomez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/selena-gomez/) > [Partisanship is our great curse. We too readily assume that everything has two sides and that it is our duty to be on one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-harvey-robinson/partisanship-is-our-great-curse-we-too-readily-assume-that-everything/) [James Harvey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-harvey-robinson/) > [“I just mean, sometimes two people do something unexpected and then by that simple act alone, it just seems they automatically assume it's now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-amo/i-just-mean-sometimes-two-people-do-something-unexpected-and-then-by/) [Thomas Amo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-amo/) > [I think that we have a number of different health care challenges in our country, and certainly addressing the uninsured is one, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-stabenow/i-think-that-we-have-a-number-of-different-health-care-challenges-in/) [Debbie Stabenow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-stabenow/) > [Is it philosophical, is it quite allowable, to assume without evidence from fossil plants that the family or any of the genera was once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asa-gray/is-it-philosophical-is-it-quite-allowable-to-assume-without-evidence/) [Asa Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asa-gray/) > [Let's assume for the moment that the logic behind Presidents Day is actually sound for certain presidents. Why not have a separate holiday for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/let-s-assume-for-the-moment-that-the-logic-behind-presidents-day-is/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [We should not assume; however, that just because something is unexplainable by us, it is unexplainable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-a-maxwell/we-should-not-assume-however-that-just-because-something-is/) [Neal A. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-a-maxwell/) > [I think a lot of fans immediately go, 'ugggh' when they hear that someone is doing a prequel or a remake, they sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-elizabeth-winstead/i-think-a-lot-of-fans-immediately-go-ugggh-when-they-hear-that/) [Mary Elizabeth Winstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-elizabeth-winstead/) > [You can never assume that something is going to do well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lopez/you-can-never-assume-that-something-is-going-to-do-well/) [Robert Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lopez/) > [What we assume, what we have never clearly thought out, controls us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-t-kelsey/what-we-assume-what-we-have-never-clearly-thought-out-controls-us/) [Morton T. Kelsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-t-kelsey/) > [Do not always assume the other fellow has intelligence equal to yours. He may have more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-thomas/do-not-always-assume-the-other-fellow-has-intelligence-equal-to-yours/) [Terry-Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-thomas/) > [Americans assume all British people have at least one servant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/americans-assume-all-british-people-have-at-least-one-servant/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [It is a mistake to assume that if everybody does his job, it will be all right. The whole system may be in trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-edwards-deming/it-is-a-mistake-to-assume-that-if-everybody-does-his-job-it-will-be/) [W. Edwards Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-edwards-deming/) > [ If \[Barack\] Obama or the boss or the newspapers or anyone else tells you they're doing this, that, or the other thing, dismiss it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-barack-obama-or-the-boss-or-the-newspapers-or-anyone-else-tells/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) [Browse all 542 Assume quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assume/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A good rule of thumb is to assume that everything matters.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Thaler" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/a-good-rule-of-thumb-is-to-assume-that-everything-matters/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Assume" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/a-good-rule-of-thumb-is-to-assume-that-everything-matters/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/135/richard-thaler-3060_assume_a-good-rule-of-thumb-is-to-assume-that-e_2920146.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/135/richard-thaler-3060_assume_a-good-rule-of-thumb-is-to-assume-that-e_2920146.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/135/richard-thaler-3060_assume_a-good-rule-of-thumb-is-to-assume-that-e_2920146.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A good rule of thumb is to assume that everything matters.” — Richard Thaler", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "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": "Richard Thaler", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A good rule of thumb is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/a-good-rule-of-thumb-is-to-assume-that-everything-matters/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/a-good-rule-of-thumb-is-to-assume-that-everything-matters/#breadcrumb" }, { "@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 } } ] } ```