Truth Quotes

"The greatest barrier to understanding is the illusion that we already understand."

"We must distinguish between what is and what we wish to be."

"The consensus about social facts is often consensus about social myths."

"We are trapped not by reality but by our conceptions of it."

"Statistics are like a bikini. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital."

"We live in an age of measurement, yet many of the most important things remain unmeasured."

"In pursuit of accuracy, we must not lose sight of meaning."

"Economic theory must bend to reality, not reality to theory."

"In measuring national wealth, we often measure national poverty."

"Statistics are like photographs—they capture a moment, not the entire film."

"The numbers never lie, but we often lie about the numbers."

"Equilibrium in economics is a useful concept, but real life is never in equilibrium."

"In the real world, perfect competition is a fairy tale."

"The test of a good theory is whether it explains reality."

"The invisible hand is sometimes a closed fist."

"Markets fail not because they are markets, but because they are human."

"The law of supply and demand is not a law of nature, but a law of human behavior."

"Markets can be remarkably efficient, but they can also be remarkably cruel."

"A man never discloses his own character so clearly as when he describes another's."

"In the real world, it is not the truth that matters, but what people believe to be true."

"The secret of life is that there is no secret."

"Truth is like a lion; it does not need to be defended."

"Facts that would induce me to alter my opinion I welcome."

"There's no such thing as a free lunch."

"The private sector is not concerned with public interest."

"Money is not the root of all evil. Love of money is."

"Tariffs are not about protecting people; they're about protecting special interests."

"Monopolies are not created by the market but by government intervention."

"Nobody spends somebody else's money as carefully as his own."

"Government spending is not free; it is paid for by taxes."