Three Valuable Life Lessons:
- Work and live the way you want.
He says the best place to work is a place you truly love. If you don't like your job, it's hard to stick with it for long. So he advises young people not to focus too much on the salary you're earning today. What matters most is choosing the right direction and the right boss — find a job you can go to dancing like tapping your feet to work. It's your life; no one else should direct it. At the same time, do your best to pick your heroes, spend time finding your idols and truly worthy partners, and surround yourself with better people — because you will move in the direction of the people you associate with.
- Thinking always comes before action.
In Buffett's investment philosophy, he places the highest value on the habit of reading and the ability to think independently. He says you should fill your mind with various ideas, and over time, sort out which are reasonable and which are not. Reading is my job; thinking is the center of my life. Thinking allows you to truly understand the world. As one of the world's top investors, all of Buffett's reading and thinking ultimately relate to money and measurable outcomes. So he envisions possible scenarios, makes careful plans, and thinks through backup measures — rather than doing anything on a whim.
- Only do things you are sure about.
He advises investors that as long as you don't make too many mistakes, you only need to do a few things right in your life to succeed. Whether in investing or life, you don't need to make frantic decisions every day. You just need to watch for a few critical crossroads in life and make the right choices. When making decisions, always focus on areas you truly understand. If you can't figure out who the fool is within 30 minutes, then the fool is probably you. So he says: I'm not a genius, but I'm smart in certain areas, and I focus only on those — I don't play games where others have the advantage. And when a sure opportunity appears, he acts decisively. When it's raining gold, you need to use a bucket, not a thimble or your bare hands.