The ability to destroy your ideas rapidly instead of slowly when the occasion is right is one of the most valuable things. You have to work hard on it. Ask yourself what are the arguments on the other side. It’s bad to have an opinion you’re proud of if you can’t state the arguments for the other side better than your opponents. This is a great mental discipline.

—Charlie Munger

opinion learning knowledge discipline

About Charlie Munger

Portrait of Charlie Munger

Charles Thomas Munger (January 1, 1924 – November 28, 2023) was an American businessman, investor, and philanthropist. He was the vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, the conglomerate controlled by Warren Buffett, from 1978 until his death in 2023. Buffett described Munger as his closest partner and right-hand man, and credited...

More quotations from Charlie Munger

Our job is to find a few intelligent things to do, not to keep up with every damn thing in the world.

—Charlie Munger

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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

learning time ideas destruction

More quotations tagged with “discipline”

No horse gets anywhere until he is harnessed. No stream or gas drives anything until it is confined. No Niagara is ever turned into light and power until it is tunneled. No life ever grows great until it is focused, dedicated, disciplined.

—Harry Emerson Fosdick

power focus discipline dedication

If we do not discipline ourselves the world will do it for us.

—William Feather

discipline the world

Seek freedom and become captive of your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty.

—Frank Herbert

freedom liberty desire discipline

The belief that unhappiness is selfless and happiness is selfish is misguided. It's more selfless to act happy. It takes energy, generosity, and discipline to be unfailingly lighthearted, yet everyone takes the happy person for granted. No one is careful of his feelings or tries to keep his spirits high. He seems self-sufficient; he becomes a cushion for others. And because happiness seems unforced, that person usually gets no credit.

—Gretchen Rubin in The Happiness Project

happiness belief effort generosity feelings discipline energy unhappiness selfishness care selflessness lightheartedness

It's a question of discipline," the little prince told me. "When you've finished washing and dressing each morning, you must tend your planet.

—Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

cleaning discipline care

History

1 Oct 2014 Added