13 Charlie Munger Quotes That Will Change Your Investing

Introduction

A great quote can cut through noise and reframe how you think. Charlie Munger's short, blunt, and often witty lines pack decades of investing and life experience into a few words. Use these quotes as morning reminders, pre-trade mantras, journal prompts, or to refocus when decisions get noisy. Below are categories of Munger quotes to inspire smarter investing, clearer thinking, and better living.

Motivational quotes

• "Spend each day trying to be a little wiser than you were when you woke up." — Charlie Munger
• "I constantly see people rise in life who are learning machines." — Charlie Munger
• "You're not going to get very far in life based on what you already know. You're going to advance in life by what you're going to learn after you know it." — Charlie Munger
• "The best thing a human being can do is to help another human being know more." — Charlie Munger
• "If you keep learning all the time, you have a huge advantage." — Charlie Munger
• "Take a simple idea and take it seriously." — Charlie Munger

Investing wisdom quotes

• "Invert, always invert." — Charlie Munger
• "Show me the incentive and I will show you the outcome." — Charlie Munger
• "It is remarkable how much long-term advantage people like us have gotten by trying to be consistently not stupid." — Charlie Munger
• "A lot of success comes from being a learning machine and avoiding the dumb mistakes." — Charlie Munger
• "You must have a latticework of mental models in your head." — Charlie Munger
• "Avoiding stupidity is much easier than seeking brilliance." — Charlie Munger

Life wisdom quotes

• "The first rule is that you must not fool yourself—and you are the easiest person to fool." — Charlie Munger
• "Acknowledging what you don't know is the dawning of wisdom." — Charlie Munger
• "All I want to know is where I'm going to die, so I'll never go there." — Charlie Munger
• "In my whole life, I have known no wise people who didn't read all the time—none, zero." — Charlie Munger
• "Denial ain't just a river in Egypt." — Charlie Munger
• "You're not going to find many people who rise to the top who are not voracious readers and learners." — Charlie Munger

Decision-making & success quotes

• "Never, ever, think about something else when you should be thinking about the power of incentives." — Charlie Munger
• "If you want to go through life like a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest, be my guest. But I don't recommend it." — Charlie Munger
• "To solve a problem, invert it—look at it backward and discover what could cause it." — Charlie Munger
• "I try to get rid of people who always confidently answer questions about which they don't have any real knowledge." — Charlie Munger
• "The wise man looks for what he can learn from everyone." — Charlie Munger

Daily inspiration quotes

• "Spend each day doing at least one thing that makes you a little smarter." — Charlie Munger
• "You must force yourself to consider the arguments of the other side." — Charlie Munger
• "Most people would rather die than think; in fact, they do." — Charlie Munger (often quoted)
• "It’s not supposed to be easy. If it was easy, everyone would do it." — Charlie Munger
• "If you keep learning, you'll do better and be happier for it." — Charlie Munger

Conclusion

Quotes compress big lessons into moments of clarity. Charlie Munger’s lines are practical, blunt, and thoughtfully distilled—perfect for nudging your mindset toward long-term thinking, disciplined investing, and continuous learning. Keep a few of these on hand to refocus, recalibrate, and act with greater wisdom each day.