130 Quotes by Steven D. Levitt

  • Author Steven D. Levitt
  • Quote

    Incentives are the cornerstone of modern life. And understanding them – or, often, deciphering them – is the key to understanding a problem, and how it might be solved.

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  • Author Steven D. Levitt
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    The ECLS data do show, for instance, that a child with a lot of books in his home tends to test higher than a child with no books.

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  • Author Steven D. Levitt
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    How are you supposed to get everyone to pull in the same direction when they are all pulling primarily for themselves?

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  • Author Steven D. Levitt
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    Deliberate practice has three key components: setting specific goals; obtaining immediate feedback; and concentrating as much on technique as on outcome.

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  • Author Steven D. Levitt
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    As we wrote earlier, the law of unintended consequences is among the most potent laws in existence.

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  • Author Steven D. Levitt
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    Pay attention to how people respond; if their response surprises or frustrates you, learn from it and try something different.

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  • Author Steven D. Levitt
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    Prediction,” as Niels Bohr liked to say, “is very difficult, especially if it’s about the future.

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  • Author Steven D. Levitt
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    Could any man resist the temptation of evil if he knew his acts could not be witnessed?

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  • Author Steven D. Levitt
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    Most people are too busy to rethink the way they think – or to even spend much time thinking at all.

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