[SaltyBackendGuy]

One of the scariest quotes I read from Why Markets Fail - John Cassidy, is a quote from a big wig at a large financial institution.

While acknowledging being in a bubble the quote was "While the music is playing, you have to get up and dance".

[rufus_foreman]

Chuck Prince from Citigroup. "When the music stops, in terms of liquidity, things will be complicated. But as long as the music is playing, you’ve got to get up and dance. We’re still dancing"

His explanation of the quote:

'"My belief then and my belief now is that one firm in this business cannot unilaterally withdraw from the business and maintain its ability to conduct business in the future,” Mr. Prince said."'

...

'"And if you are not engaged in business, people leave the institution, so it is impossible to say in my view to your bankers we are just not going to participate in the business in the next year or so until things become a little more rational," he said. "You can’t do that and expect to have any people left to conduct business in the future."'

-- https://archive.nytimes.com/dealbook.nytimes.com/2010/04/08/...

To me it looks like history proved him right. The largest institutions were the ones that got bailed out.