After a crisis we tell ourselves we understand why it happened and maintain the illusion that the world is understandable. In fact, we should accept the world is incomprehensible much of the time.
Interpretation
We often believe we can make sense of events after they occur, but in reality, the world is often beyond our understanding.
Daniel Kahneman's quote highlights the human tendency to rationalize and create narratives around crises and uncertainties, suggesting that while we may strive for clarity and understanding, it is important to recognize and accept the inherent complexity and chaos of life. Embracing the idea that not everything is comprehensible allows for a more realistic perspective on events and the world around us, fostering resilience in the face of challenges.
In practice
This quote can be used in a discussion about the unpredictability of global events during a seminar.
We think, each of us, that we're much more rational than we are. And we think that we make our decisions because we have good reasons to make them. Even when it's the other way around. We believe in the reasons, because we've already made the decision.
The average investor's return is significantly lower than market indices due primarily to market timing.
Banks are run by executives, and executives protect themselves, and that does not always mean that banks are going to behave rationally.
Laziness is built deep into our nature.
Through some combination of culture and biology, our minds are intuitively receptive to religion.
You are more likely to learn something by finding surprises in your own behavior than by hearing surprising facts about people in general.
Sickness, insanity and death were the angels that surrounded my cradle and they have followed me throughout my life.
Being desirable means being comfortable with your own ambiguity. The most ambiguous reality is that we are flesh and spirit at the same time. Within everyone there is light and shadow, good and evil, love and hate. In order to be truthful, you must embrace your total being. A person who exhibits both positive and negative qualities, strengths and weaknesses is not flawed, but complete.
Sluggish and sedentary peoples, such as the Ancient Egyptians-- with their concept of an afterlife journey through the Field of Reeds-- project on to the next world the journeys they failed to make in this one.
The characteristic feature of militarism is not the fact that a nation has a powerful army or navy. It is the paramount role assigned to the army within the political structure. Even in peacetime the army is supreme; it is the predominant factor in political life. The subjects must obey the government as soldiers must obey their superiors. Within a militarist community there is no freedom; there are only obedience and discipline.
The courts of kings are full of people, but empty of friends.
For a man of my generation, our century has been a long intellectual and political struggle in favor of freedom.
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