In the world of investing and corporate leadership, few figures command as much respect or admiration as Charlie Munger. Known for his role as Warren Buffett’s right-hand man at Berkshire Hathaway and his razor-sharp wit, Munger is a titan whose wisdom is highly sought after in the universe of finance.
These quotes aren’t just financial advice; they are life lessons from a man who has consistently demonstrated the value of clear thinking and ethical integrity. They offer insights into decision-making, the importance of lifelong learning, and the principles that underpin Munger’s investment philosophy.
Whether you’re a novice investor, a seasoned market player, or simply someone intrigued by the world of finance, these quotes will stimulate your thinking, deepen your understanding, and inspire you to strive for excellence.
16 of the Best Charlie Munger Quotes on Life & Success
“In my whole life, I have known no wise people (over a broad subject matter area) who didn’t read all the time — none, zero. You’d be amazed at how much Warren reads–and at how much I read. My children laugh at me. They think I’m a book with a couple of legs sticking out.”
Charlie Munger
“Not everybody can learn everything. No matter how hard you try, there is always some guy or girl who achieves more. My attitude is, so what? Does any of us need to be at the very top of the whole world? It’s ridiculous.”
Charlie Munger
“I constantly see people rise in life who are not the smartest, sometimes not even the most diligent, but they are learning machines. They go to bed every night a little wiser than they were when they got up, and boy, does that help, particularly when you have a long run ahead of you.”
Charlie Munger
37 Famous Charlie Munger Quotes to Inspire Successful Living & Investing
“Spend each day trying to be a little wiser than you were when you woke up. Day by day, and at the end of the day-if you live long enough-like most people, you will get out of life what you deserve.”
Charlie Munger
“You don’t have a lot of envy, you don’t have a lot of resentment, you don’t overspend your income, you stay cheerful in spite of your troubles, you deal with reliable people and you do what you’re supposed to do. All these simple rules work so well to make your life better.”
Charlie Munger
“If you’re going to live a long time, you have to keep learning — what you formerly knew is never enough. So if you don’t learn to constantly revise your earlier conclusions, and get better ones, you are — I always use the same metaphor — you’re like a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest.”
Charlie Munger
“I don’t have a single achievement I’m all that proud of. I set out to have more common sense than most, and I’m pleased I did as well as I did. If I had to do it all over again, I think it’d be a lot harder.”
Charlie Munger
“We all are learning, modifying, or destroying ideas all the time. Rapid destruction of your ideas when the time is right is one of the most valuable qualities you can acquire. You must force yourself to consider arguments on the other side.”
Charlie Munger
“You must know the big ideas in the big disciplines and use them routinely – all of them, not just a few. Most people are trained in one model – economics, for example – and try to solve all problems in one way. You know the old saying: To the man with a hammer, the world looks like a nail. This is a dumb way of handling problems.”
Charlie Munger
28 Inspirational Charlie Munger Quotes to Motivate and Empower You
“I met the towering intellectuals in books, not in the classroom, which is natural. I can’t remember when I first read Ben Franklin. I had Thomas Jefferson over my bed at seven or eight. My family was into all that stuff, getting ahead through discipline, knowledge, and self-control.”
Charlie Munger
“An idiot can diversify a portfolio, or a computer. But the whole trick of the game is to have a few times when you know something is better than average, and invest only where you have that extra knowledge. If that gets you a few opportunities, that’s enough.”
Charlie Munger
“A lot of people with high IQs are terrible investors because they’ve got terrible temperaments. And that is why we say that having a certain kind of temperament is more important than brains. You need to keep raw irrational emotion under control. You need patience and discipline and an ability to take losses and adversity without going crazy. You need an ability to not be driven crazy by extreme success.”
Charlie Munger
“Of course when people talk about common sense, they mean uncommon sense. Every time you hear that someone has common sense, it means that he has uncommon sense, and it’s much harder to have common sense than is generally thought.”
Charlie Munger
“If you took our top fifteen decisions out, we’d have a pretty average record. It wasn’t hyperactivity, but a hell of a lot of patience. You stuck to your principles and when opportunities came along, you pounced on them with vigor.”
Charlie Munger
Charlie Munger Short Biography
Born on 1 January 1924 in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S., Charles Thomas Munger is one of American’s greatest minds in the 20th century.
Best known for being the vice-chairman of the compound interest machine: Berkshire Hathaway, Inc (a conglomerate controlled by Warren Buffett), Charlie Munger is an investor, businessman, and former real estate attorney.
A passionate investor who knocked down obstacles, trials, tragedies, or any known difficulties that come his way with persistence and grit. It shows you how much one can overcome when one truly loves his job.
As one of the key leaders of Berkshire Hathaway, Charlie Munger (and Warren Buffett) has grown the company to over 2,000,000% on its initial value (or 20,000 to 1) through wise investing without dangerous amounts of borrowing.
Charlie Munger is also the Chairman of the Daily Journal Corp and sits on the board of retailer Costco. As of 2020, Munger has a net worth of $1.6 billion. However, it is considered low by many people given his wise decisions and contributions.
Further reading:
- “A Lesson on Elementary, Worldly Wisdom” by Charlie Munger – James Clear
- Who is Charlie Munger? Wit and Wisdom From The World’s Most Irreverent Billionaire – fs blog
- 25 Lessons From Warren Buffet & Charlie Munger That Will Change Your Ideas About Business & Life – Medium
- Charlie Munger warns there are ‘lots of troubles coming’ because of ‘too much wretched excess’ – CNBC
Here are the best Charlie Munger quotes so you can be ready for change and be wise to take full responsibility for the results of your business/company.
(MUST READ)
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