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The Bed of Procrustes: Philosophical and Practical Aphorisms by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

The Bed of Procrustes: Philosophical and Practical Aphorisms by Nassim Nicholas Taleb is a sharp, thought-provoking collection of short insights that really make you stop and think. Taleb touches on everything from uncertainty and randomness to human nature and how much we actually don't know. It’s a bit like The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran and Sovietsky Koutukov by Masud Mahmood—packed with wisdom you want to keep coming back to.


I finished the Audible version and liked it so much that I ordered the hardcover, because, like those two books, I plan to read it every once in a while. Taleb’s style is witty and to the point, but these aphorisms have layers that take time to fully appreciate. If you enjoy deep, bite-sized philosophical insights, this book is definitely worth adding to your shelf.

Here are some quotes from the book that resonate well with me - 
  • True humility is when you can surprise yourself more than others; the rest is either shyness or good marketing
  • You know you have influence when people start noticing your absence more than the presence of others.
  • They agree that chess training only improves chess skills but disagree that classroom training (almost) only improves classroom skills.
  • Your reputation is harmed the most by what you say to defend it.
  • You are rich if money you refuse tastes better than money you accept.
  • Regular minds find similarities in stories (and situations); finer minds detect differences.
  • Sometimes people ask you a question with their eyes begging you to not tell them the truth.
  • A verbal threat is the most authentic certificate of impotence.
  • The difference between slaves in Roman and Ottoman days and today’s employees is that slaves did not need to flatter their boss.
  • Asking science to explain life and vital matters is equivalent to asking a grammarian to explain poetry.
  • Religion isn’t so much about telling man that there is one God as about preventing man from thinking that he is God.
  • Social science means inventing a certain brand of human we can understand.
  • Those who think religion is about “belief” don’t understand religion, and don’t understand belief.
  • Hatred is much harder to fake than love. You hear of fake love; never of fake hate.
  • The best test of whether someone is extremely stupid (or extremely wise) is whether financial and political news makes sense to him.
  • Engineers can compute but not define, mathematicians can define but not compute, economists can neither define nor compute.
  • Love without sacrifice is like theft.
  • The Web is an unhealthy place for someone hungry for attention.
  • If you find any reason why you and someone are friends, you are not friends.

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