12 Quotes by Tim Urban

I think generally people’s thinking process is too bound by convention or analogy to prior experiences. It’s rare that people try to think of something on a first principles basis. They’ll say, “We’ll do that because it’s always been done that way.” Or they’ll not do it because “Well, nobody’s ever done that, so it must not be good.” But that’s just a ridiculous way to think. You have to build up the reasoning from the ground up – “from the first principles.

Humility is by definition a starting point – and it sends you off on a journey from there. The arrogance of certainty is both a starting point and an ending point – no journeys needed.

Instead of a blank canvas, school hands kids a coloring book and tells them to stay within the lines.4 What.