Quotes of Investing
Here are 20 timeless quotes, laws, and rules on investing that encapsulate wisdom from some of the greatest minds in finance and beyond.
Warren Buffett (The Oracle of Omaha)
“Rule No. 1: Never lose money. Rule No. 2: Never forget Rule No. 1.”
Focus on preservation of capital.
Warren Buffett (The Oracle of Omaha)
“Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful.”
Contrarian thinking often leads to superior returns.
Peter Lynch (Legendary Fund Manager)
“Know what you own, and know why you own it.”
Understand your investments deeply.
Peter Lynch (Legendary Fund Manager)
“The best stock to buy may be the one you already own.”
Avoid chasing returns; optimize your current portfolio.
Benjamin Graham (Father of Value Investing)
“The investor’s chief problem—and even his worst enemy—is likely to be himself.”
Discipline and emotional control are vital.
Benjamin Graham (Father of Value Investing)
“Price is what you pay; value is what you get.”
Distinguish between cost and intrinsic worth.
Charlie Munger (Buffett’s Partner)
“The big money is not in the buying or the selling, but in the waiting.”
Patience is a critical component of successful investing.
Charlie Munger (Buffett’s Partner)
“Invert, always invert.”
Solve problems by thinking backward; avoid obvious mistakes.
John C. Bogle (Vanguard Founder)
“The stock market is a giant distraction from the business of investing.”
Focus on long-term wealth building, not short-term noise.
John C. Bogle (Vanguard Founder)
“Time is your friend; impulse is your enemy.”
Invest for the long term and avoid emotional decisions.
Howard Marks (Master of Market Cycles)
“You can’t predict. You can prepare.”
Investing is about managing risk, not guessing the future.
Howard Marks (Master of Market Cycles)
“Successful investing requires second-level thinking.”
Outperform by thinking differently and deeper than the crowd.
George Soros (Legendary Hedge Fund Manager)
“It’s not whether you’re right or wrong that’s important, but how much money you make when you’re right and how much you lose when you’re wrong.”
Focus on the magnitude of gains versus losses.
Jesse Livermore (Stock Trader Extraordinaire)
“It was never my thinking that made the big money for me. It was always my sitting.”
The ability to hold investments through volatility is key.
Jesse Livermore (Stock Trader Extraordinaire)
“Markets are never wrong; opinions often are.”
Respect the market’s movements over personal biases.
Ray Dalio (Founder of Bridgewater Associates)
“He who lives by the crystal ball will eat shattered glass.”
Forecasting is dangerous; base decisions on probabilities.
Ray Dalio (Founder of Bridgewater Associates)
“Diversify. Diversify. Diversify.”
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
Paul Samuelson (Nobel Prize-Winning Economist)
“Investing should be more like watching paint dry or watching grass grow. If you want excitement, take $800 and go to Las Vegas.”
Slow and steady wins the race in investing.
Albert Einstein (On Compound Interest)
“Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it; he who doesn’t, pays it.”
Start early and let compounding do the heavy lifting.
Mark Twain (On Risk)
“October: This is one of the peculiarly dangerous months to speculate in stocks. The others are July, January, September, April, November, May, March, June, December, August, and February.”
A humorous reminder about the unpredictability of markets.
Philip Fisher (Growth Investing Pioneer)
“The stock market is filled with individuals who know the price of everything, but the value of nothing.”
Always seek intrinsic value, not just surface-level metrics.
Morgan Housel (Author of The Psychology of Money)
“The most important part of every plan is planning on your plan not going according to plan.”
Prepare for the unexpected.
Charlie Ellis (Author of Winning the Loser’s Game)
“The hardest work in investing is not intellectual; it’s emotional.”
Controlling emotions is more critical than finding great ideas.
Seth Klarman (Value Investing Guru)
“The single greatest edge an investor can have is a long-term orientation.”
Patience leads to compounding success.
Naval Ravikant (Angel Investor and Philosopher)
“Play long-term games with long-term people.”
Choose investments and partners with enduring value.
David Swensen (Yale Endowment Manager)
“Over the long term, the biggest risk of all is not taking one.”
Prudent risk-taking is essential for growth.
Richard Thaler (Behavioral Economics Pioneer)
“The market is not perfectly rational. That’s what makes investing so interesting.”
Understanding human psychology gives you an edge.
Confucius (Ancient Wisdom)
“The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.”
Success in investing comes from steady, incremental progress.