"Le point principal de l'opacité financière est que ce qui est discutable reste caché"
— Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Simplified Meaning:
Sometimes, people or organizations make their financial dealings hard to understand on purpose. This way, any controversial or questionable actions stay out of sight. Imagine if a company doesn't clearly show where it spends money. People won’t question expenses that might be suspicious or improper because they simply can't see them clearly. Let's use a straightforward example: you lend money to a friend. If your friend meticulously shows you how they spend every penny, it's easy to see if something doesn't seem right. But if your friend is vague and keeps the details hidden, it's much harder to spot any misuse of the money. This tactic can happen in big companies or governments too, where unclear finances keep people from raising difficult questions. To apply this lesson, we should strive for transparency in our financial dealings, both personal and professional, so all actions are clear and open to scrutiny. This way, we build trust and avoid misunderstandings.