Solving a problem is hard enough; it gets that much harder if you’ve decided beforehand it can’t be done.

The key to learning is feedback. It is nearly impossible to learn anything without it.

People who buy annuities, it turns out, live longer than people who don't, and not because the people who buy annuities are healthier to start with. The evidence suggests that an annuity's steady payout provides a little extra incentive to keep chugging along.

In the United States especially, politics and economics don’t mix well. Politicians have all sorts of reasons to pass all sorts of laws that, as well-meaning as they may be, fail to account for the way real people respond to real-world incentives.

The conventional wisdom is often wrong.

No matter how expert you may be, well-designed checklists can improve outcomes.

Don't trust, just verify.