Character isn't what we think it is or, rather, what we want it to be. It isn't a stable, easily identifiable set of closely related traits, and it only seems that way because of a glitch in the way our brains are organized. Character is more like a bundle of habits and tendencies and interests, loosely bound together and dependent, at certain times, on circumstance and context.

Our acquaintances—not our friends—are our greatest source of new ideas and information. the internet lets us exploit the power of these kinds of distant connections with marvellous efficiency.

Happiness, in one sense, is a function of how closely our world conforms to the infinite variety of human preference.

Instead of thinking about talent as something that you acquire, talent should be thought of as something that you develop.

Incompetence is certainty in the absence of expertise. Overconfidence is certainty in the presence of expertise.

We vary greatly in the natural advantages that we've been given. The world's not fair

A prediction, in a field where prediction is not possible, is no more than a prejudice.