#2075
Mentioned in 12 episodes

Private Truths, Public Lies

Book • 1995
In *Private Truths, Public Lies*, Timur Kuran argues that preference falsification—the act of misrepresenting one's wants under perceived social pressures—is ubiquitous and has profound social and political consequences.

Drawing on diverse intellectual traditions, Kuran provides a unified theory of how preference falsification shapes collective decisions, orients structural change, sustains social stability, distorts human knowledge, and conceals political possibilities.

The book explores various social phenomena, including the fall of communism, the caste system in India, and affirmative action in the United States, highlighting how minor events can trigger massive and unanticipated changes when public support for a policy or regime is largely contrived.

Mentioned by

Mentioned in 12 episodes

Mentioned by
undefined
Marc Andreessen
as a definitive work on preference falsification.
6,102 snips
#458 – Marc Andreessen: Trump, Power, Tech, AI, Immigration & Future of America
Mentioned by
undefined
Marc Andreessen
in relation to the concept of preference falsification and its impact on political discourse.
908 snips
Marc Andreessen on AI, Tech, Censorship, and Dining with Trump
Mentioned by
undefined
Bari Weiss
as a book containing a theory called a preference cascade.
394 snips
The Biden Cover-Up and the Failure of the Press Corps
Mentioned by
undefined
Marc Andreessen
when discussing preference falsification in society.
331 snips
NEW: Marc Andreessen on Trump, the vibe shift, and what’s after wokeness
Mentioned by
undefined
Megan McArdle
as being about people not saying what they believe and its consequences.
70 snips
The New Antisemitism | Roundtable
Mentioned by
undefined
Marc Andreessen
as the author of "Private Truth, Public Lies", explaining the theory of preference falsification.
46 snips
E118: Ending Woke, Why Elon Wins, and A Return to Innovation w/ Marc Andreessen [Moment of Zen repost]
Mentioned by
undefined
Amit Varma
in a discussion about preference falsification and social media.
35 snips
Ep 408: Amitava Kumar Finds His Gulmohar Tree
Mentioned by
undefined
Michael Shermer
in the context of discussing public lying and the spiral of silence.
33 snips
What Happened to the Intellectual Dark Web?
Mentioned by
undefined
Malcolm Collins
to introduce the concept of preference falsification.
27 snips
Newly Discovered Narcissism Type Explains the Left
Mentioned by
undefined
Richard Ngo
in relation to preference falsification and social behavior.
16 snips
“Power Lies Trembling: a three-book review” by Richard_Ngo
Mentioned as the author of the book which documents the concept of public truths and private lies
11 snips
Richard Hanania Megasode
Mentioned by
undefined
Marc Andreessen
as a book that had a big impact on him, discussing preference falsification.
a16z Podcast: Beyond Software, to Talent and Culture

The AI-powered Podcast Player

Save insights by tapping your headphones, chat with episodes, discover the best highlights - and more!
App store bannerPlay store banner
Get the app