

#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.
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 

as a definitive work on preference falsification.


Marc Andreessen

6,102 snips
#458 – Marc Andreessen: Trump, Power, Tech, AI, Immigration & Future of America
Mentioned by 

in relation to the concept of preference falsification and its impact on political discourse.


Marc Andreessen

908 snips
Marc Andreessen on AI, Tech, Censorship, and Dining with Trump
Mentioned by 

as a book containing a theory called a preference cascade.


Bari Weiss

394 snips
The Biden Cover-Up and the Failure of the Press Corps
Mentioned by 

when discussing preference falsification in society.


Marc Andreessen

331 snips
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to illustrate the disconnect between public and private values.


Mark Sayers

221 snips
CNLP 720 | Why Woke Broke: Mark Sayers on the Massive Trump-Era Cultural Upheaval and How to Find Hope in New Global Chaos
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as being about people not saying what they believe and its consequences.


Megan McArdle

70 snips
The New Antisemitism | Roundtable
Mentioned by 

as the author of "Private Truth, Public Lies", explaining the theory of preference falsification.


Marc Andreessen

46 snips
E118: Ending Woke, Why Elon Wins, and A Return to Innovation w/ Marc Andreessen [Moment of Zen repost]
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in a discussion about preference falsification and social media.


Amit Varma

35 snips
Ep 408: Amitava Kumar Finds His Gulmohar Tree
Mentioned by 

in the context of discussing public lying and the spiral of silence.


Michael Shermer

33 snips
What Happened to the Intellectual Dark Web?
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to introduce the concept of preference falsification.

Malcolm Collins

27 snips
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in relation to preference falsification and social behavior.

Richard Ngo

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 

as a book that had a big impact on him, discussing preference falsification.


Marc Andreessen

a16z Podcast: Beyond Software, to Talent and Culture
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in the context of preference falsification in authoritarian regimes and its relevance to current societal trends.

Catherine Boyle

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