1. A hard look at the numbers can explain much of the structure of the world around us.
2. Sometimes it is more important to build a consensus around a good decision than to make the best possible decision
3. Sometimes it is more useful to believe that a decision is sanctioned by a higher authority than to acknowledge that it rests on mere conjecture
4. Sometimes it is better to make a truly random choice than to continue to follow the predictable inclinations of one's established prejudices.
5. An outrageously unjustified level of self-confidence can add several points to one's perceived expertise quotient.
6. The pretence of knowledge where none is to be had, after all, is also a licence to represent private interest as a public good.
