“Invert, always invert”
Charlie Munger
Charlie Munger was very fond of the phrase “Invert, always invert”, and used it in Poor Charlie’s Almanack and in his wider talks on decision-making. He attributed the quote to the mathematician Carl Jacobi. However, the attribution to Jacobi should be treated with care: no primary source has been found confirming that Jacobi himself wrote or said the phrase.
Poor Charlie’s Almanack (Primary source)
In the tradition of Benjamin Franklin’s own almanack, Poor Charlie’s Almanack stands as a remarkable distillation of one man’s lifelong pursuit of what he termed elementary worldly wisdom. Compiled with evident devotion by Peter Kaufman and first published in 2005, this volume represents the most comprehensive gathering of Charles Munger’s speeches, insights, and philosophical observations spanning two decades of public discourse.
More about “Poor Charlie’s Almanack” →
“I think a life properly lived is just learn, learn, learn all the time.”
— Charlie Munger Primary source“So you have to figure out what your own aptitudes are. If you play games where other people have the aptitudes and you don’t, you’re going to lose. And that’s as close to certain as any prediction you can make. You have to figure out where you’ve got an edge. And you’ve got to play within your own circle of competence.”
— Charlie Munger Primary source“In my whole life, I have known no wise people (over a broad subject matter) who didn’t read all the time—none, zero. You’d be amazed 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 Primary source“If anything, I now believe even more strongly that reliability is essential for progress in life and while quantum mechanics is unlearnable for a vast majority, reliability can be learned to great advantage by almost anyone.”
— Charlie Munger Primary sourceMore quotes by Charlie Munger →
“Fear always springs from ignorance.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson Primary source“Our spontaneous action is always the best.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson Primary source“Nature always wears the colors of the spirit.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson Primary source“Time enough always proves little enough.”
— Benjamin Franklin Primary source