Esther Duflo

"The poor are not lazy; they are trapped in poverty by circumstances beyond their control."

"Randomized experiments are the best way to understand what works in development."

"We must listen to the poor and understand their perspective."

"Education is the most powerful tool for breaking the cycle of poverty."

"Small changes can have large impacts on people's lives."

"We should be humble about what we know and don't know."

"The poor make rational decisions given their circumstances."

"Hope is not a strategy; evidence is."

"We need to understand poverty from the inside out."

"Empathy must be coupled with rigorous evidence."

"The world is complex, and simple solutions often fail."

"We should measure what matters most."

"Poverty is not inevitable; it can be addressed systematically."

"Innovation in development requires new thinking."

"Data tells stories that intuition misses."

"The poor are experts in their own lives."

"We must challenge our assumptions about poverty."

"Small interventions can yield surprising results."

"Listening is as important as analyzing."

"The poor deserve rigorous research, not guesswork."

"Poverty reduction requires patience and persistence."

"We are all products of our circumstances."

"Understanding motivation is key to development work."

"The poor are not problems to be solved but people to be understood."

"Evidence should drive policy, not ideology."

"Every person has the potential to improve their life."

"We must avoid paternalism in development work."

"Micro-interventions can address macro-problems."

"The poor are creative problem-solvers."

"Rigorous evaluation improves development outcomes."