To judge someone before understanding that person is a form of human rejection and feeds upon itself. It intensifies personal insecurities, necessitating more judgment (prejudice) and less understanding. The processes continue in this vicious cycle.
Our pride is tied up in being right. We tend to favor data that confirm our beliefs, so we don't see alternatives. Too often, leaders practice defense routines that become self-reinforcing.
Negativity can only feed on negativity.
The only way you can get confidence is by winning, and unfortunately, the only way you win is by being confident.
Fear leads to more fear, and trust leads to more trust.
Courage is like a strain of yoghurt culture, if you have some you can have some more.
European civil society and NGOs that petition for favours and influence for their special interests are often themselves funded from E.U. coffers. This creates a system of patronage that encourages self-reinforcing group-think and a cloying sycophancy.
Winning breeds winning.
With a clever strategy, each action is self-reinforcing. Each action creates more options that are mutually beneficial. Each victory is not just for today but for tomorrow.
The '60s were a disaster in terms of social policy. The elites put in place a whole set of reforms which I think fundamentally changed the signals and the incentives facing low-income people and encouraged a variety of trends that soon became self-reinforcing.
The radio doesn't want to play you until you're No.1 on Shazam, and you can't get No.1 on Shazam without getting played.
The behavior of people and the culture of an organization are very different in winning streaks and losing streaks. But what both have in common is their momentum - once winners' or losers' habits and culture take hold, they tend to perpetuate themselves.
He that is already corrupt is naturally suspicious, and he that becomes suspicious will quickly become corrupt.
Bitcoin's success will guarantee Bitcoin's success.
Worried thought prevents practical thought which could prevent worried thought.
The harder we played, the behinder we got.
A best-seller was a book which somehow sold well because it was selling well.
People create stories create people; or rather stories create people create stories.
Talking with people who agree with you is like jogging in a cul de sac.
A self-reinforcing upward spiral: performance stimulating pride stimulating performance.
When a generation talks just to itself, it becomes more filled with folly than it might have otherwise.
Strong credit markets give companies borrowing options to boost their stock prices while making bearish investors scramble to close out trades before losing any more money, both of which then push the stock market even higher and continue the self-reinforcing bullish cycle.
What was true then and what is true now is that we create technology so others can create more technology.
Many of the traits that make Amazon unusual are now deeply ingrained in the culture. In fact, if I wanted to change them, I couldn't. The cultures are self-reinforcing, and that's a good thing.
After the success of 'Rumours,' we were in this zone with this certain scale of success. By that point, the success detaches from the music, and the success becomes about the success. The phenomenon becomes about the phenomenon.
