“If somebody is young and brilliant and imaginative, he will be listene...” — Reinhard Selten Quote

If somebody is young and brilliant and imaginative, he will be listened to, even if he is a little unorthodox.

When I was born, my father owned a business called a 'reading circle'; folders containing an assortment of magazines were lent to customers for one week, then recollected and lent out again. The older the folder, the lower was the fee. This was a flourishing branch of industry.

It's very productive scientifically; I often get some very good ideas for my research while hiking.

My first contact with game theory was a popular article in 'Fortune Magazine' which I read in my last high school year. I was immediately attracted to the subject matter, and when I studied mathematics, I found the fundamental book by von Neumann and Morgenstern in the library and studied it.

Married life is absolutely brilliant.

The founding fathers were not only brilliant, they were system builders and systematic thinkers. They came up with comprehensive plans and visions.

I have everything that I could possibly want in life, from a gorgeous granddaughter and a wonderful wife, brilliant students, the best job anyone could hope for, and about half of my hair. Not the half I would have kept, but no one consulted me.

I'm such a joyful, brilliant weirdo that to not be able to express that because people are in a rush seems a shame.

It's always been the ones that got away that stick in your memory. You use them for motivation. The ones you win are brilliant and you enjoy them, and then you move on.