Quotes by George Soros

“Once we realize that imperfect understanding is the human condition there is no shame in being wrong, only in failing to correct our mistakes.”

“Stock market bubbles dont grow out of thin air. They have a solid basis in reality, but reality as distorted by a misconception.”

“The worse a situation becomes the less it takes to turn it around, the bigger the upside.”

“The financial markets generally are unpredictable. So that one has to have different scenarios... The idea that you can actually predict whats going to happen contradicts my way of looking at the market.”

“Well, you know, I was a human being before I became a businessman.”

“Markets are constantly in a state of uncertainty and flux and money is make by discounting the obvious and betting on the unexpected.”

“The absurdity of its illegality has been clear to me for some time. I learned about pot from my kids and realized it was a lot better than Scotch, and I loved the Scotch. Then I went to my doctor, and he said, Im thrilled. Youre drinking too much. Youre much better off doing pot than drinking.”

“The markets are always on the side of exuberance or fear. Its fear and greed. Right now greed has the better of it, which is rather nice (for investors) as long as it doesnt get out of hand,”

“This asymmetry in the treatment of lenders and borrowers is a major source of instability in the global capitalist system and it needs to be corrected,”

“Up to those amounts the countries concerned would be able to access international capital markets at prime rates. Beyond these, the creditors would have to beware.”

Misconceptions play a prominent role in my view of the world.

I commissioned two political experts to advise me about what I could do to oppose the re-election of President Bush.

The anti-resource curse initiative has stronger legs than most and that has made me very enthusiastic.

Everybody says that I have a lot of power. But what does that power consist of?... Can I influence governments? I am beginning to be able to... (1995)

It is much easier to put existing resources to better use, than to develop resources where they do not exist.

My main concern is with the world order

The main obstacle to further progress on the resource curse is China, and to a lesser extent India.

As I like to put it, we have hit pay dirt. The effort to cure the resource curse is a good example of what private foundations working with NGOs can accomplish.

Just as the process of repealing national alcohol prohibition began with individual states repealing their own prohibition laws, so individual states must now take the initiative with respect to repealing marijuana prohibition laws.

Bushs war in Iraq has done untold damage to the United States. It has impaired our military power and undermined the morale of our armed forces. Our troops were trained to project overwhelming power. They were not trained for occupation duties.