QuoteProject
But individuals and firms spend an enormous amount of resources acquiring information, which affects their beliefs; and actions of others too affect their beliefs.
Joseph Stiglitz
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

Information shapes beliefs and influences decisions.

This quote by Joseph Stiglitz highlights the crucial role that information plays in forming our beliefs and guiding our actions. It suggests that not only do individuals and organizations invest heavily in gathering information, but also that the beliefs and actions of others have a significant impact on our own beliefs, acknowledging the interconnectedness of knowledge and societal influence.

Themes

InformationBeliefsKnowledgeInfluenceDecisions

In practice

Example use cases

In a presentation on business strategy, one might say, 'As Joseph Stiglitz points out, the beliefs we hold and the decisions we make are heavily influenced by the information we acquire.'

More from Joseph Stiglitz

Free migration within Europe means that countries that have done a better job at reducing unemployment will predictably end up with more than their fair share of refugees. Workers in these countries bear the cost in depressed wages and higher unemployment, while employers benefit from cheaper labor.
Joseph StiglitzRead
I don't think we can have democracies that work where most of the people are not benefiting economically, where most of the people are worried about their job security.
Joseph StiglitzRead
Let me put it very forcefully: No large economy has ever recovered from an economic downturn through austerity. It's not going to happen in the United States, and it's not going to happen in Europe.
Joseph StiglitzRead
What separates developing countries from developed countries is as much a gap in knowledge as a gap in resources.
Joseph StiglitzRead
One of the arguments I make for the failure of the euro is that, at the time it was being constructed, there was a 'neo-liberal' ideology which said that all we need to do to make this thing work is to get deficits low, keep inflation low, and take down barriers, and then everything would be fine.
Joseph StiglitzRead
Trump sees the world in terms of a zero-sum game. In reality, globalisation, if well managed, is a positive-sum force: America gains if its friends and allies - whether Australia, the E.U., or Mexico - are stronger. But Trump's approach threatens to turn it into a negative-sum game: America will lose, too.
Joseph StiglitzRead

Similar quotes

I read about writers who have routines. They write at certain times of the day. I can't do that. I am always writing-but in my head.
Jamaica KincaidRead
Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it.
Eckhart TolleRead
If thou wilt be observant and vigilant, thou wilt see at every moment the response to thy action. Be observant if thou wouldst have a pure heart, for something is born to thee in consequence of every action.
RumiRead
Through effort you will cross any raging flood, through energy you will pass any sorrow.
Gautama BuddhaRead
Problems do not go away. They must be worked through or else they remain, forever a barrier to the growth and development of the spirit.
M. Scott PeckRead
Poverty does not produce unhappiness: It produces degradation.
George Bernard ShawRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.