When most investors, including the pros, all agree on something, they're usually wrong.
Carl IcahnRead
When friends and acquaintances are telling you [that] you are a genius, before you accept their opinion, take a moment to remember what you always thought of their opinions in the past.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Evaluate the validity of praise by considering past assessments of those giving it.
This quote by Carl Icahn encourages self-reflection when receiving compliments or opinions from others, particularly regarding intelligence or capability. It suggests that one should assess the credibility of the praise based on their previous judgments of those providing it, promoting a more discerning approach to external validation.
Themes
WisdomSelf-ReflectionOpinionsValidationIntelligence
In practice
Example use cases
During a team meeting where your ideas are praised, you can refer to this quote to remind everyone of their past reservations about certain concepts.
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