Warren Buffett Quotes

Wall Street is the only place that people ride to in a Rolls Royce to get advice from those who take the subway.

- Warren Buffett

Ride, People, Rolls, Advice

When a management with a reputation for brilliance tackles a business with a reputation for bad economics, it is the reputation of the business that remains intact.

- Warren Buffett

Business, Economics, Intact, Remains

Risk comes from not knowing what you're doing.

- Warren Buffett

Knowledge, Doing, Knowing

In the 20th century, the United States endured two world wars and other traumatic and expensive military conflicts; the Depression; a dozen or so recessions and financial panics; oil shocks; a flu epidemic; and the resignation of a disgraced president. Yet the Dow rose from 66 to 11,497.

- Warren Buffett

Financial, Other, United, Resignation

I don't look to jump over 7-foot bars: I look around for 1-foot bars that I can step over.

- Warren Buffett

Step, Look, Over, Bars

I think that both parties should declare the debt limit as a political weapon of mass destruction which can't be used. I mean, it is silly to have a country that has 237 years building up its reputation and then have people threaten to tear it down because they're not getting some other matter.

- Warren Buffett

Country, Some, Other, Both Parties

The only way to get love is to be lovable. It's very irritating if you have a lot of money. You'd like to think you could write a check: 'I'll buy a million dollars' worth of love.' But it doesn't work that way. The more you give love away, the more you get.

- Warren Buffett

Love, Away, Very, Million

You have no ability, if you're a financial institution and you're threatened with criminal prosecution, you have no ability to negotiate.

- Warren Buffett

Negotiate, Institution, Prosecution

I bought a company in the mid-'90s called Dexter Shoe and paid $400 million for it. And it went to zero. And I gave about $400 million worth of Berkshire stock, which is probably now worth $400 billion. But I've made lots of dumb decisions. That's part of the game.

- Warren Buffett

Game, Part, Dexter, Decisions

The big question about how people behave is whether they've got an Inner Scorecard or an Outer Scorecard. It helps if you can be satisfied with an Inner Scorecard.

- Warren Buffett

Question, Big, Satisfied, Helps

I am quite serious when I say that I do not believe there are, on the whole earth besides, so many intensified bores as in these United States. No man can form an adequate idea of the real meaning of the word, without coming here.

- Warren Buffett

Here, United, Adequate, Intensified

Economic medicine that was previously meted out by the cupful has recently been dispensed by the barrel. These once unthinkable dosages will almost certainly bring on unwelcome after-effects. Their precise nature is anyone's guess, though one likely consequence is an onslaught of inflation.

- Warren Buffett

Bring, Been, Almost, Unthinkable

The smarter the journalists are, the better off society is. For to a degree, people read the press to inform themselves - and the better the teacher, the better the student body.

- Warren Buffett

Teacher, Read, Inform, Smarter

Your premium brand had better be delivering something special, or it's not going to get the business.

- Warren Buffett

Business, Going, Delivering, Brand

The investor of today does not profit from yesterday's growth.

- Warren Buffett

Yesterday, Investor, Does, Profit

Of the billionaires I have known, money just brings out the basic traits in them. If they were jerks before they had money, they are simply jerks with a billion dollars.

- Warren Buffett

Before, Billionaires, Traits, Billion Dollars

We believe that according the name 'investors' to institutions that trade actively is like calling someone who repeatedly engages in one-night stands a 'romantic.'

- Warren Buffett

Like, Repeatedly, According, Actively

Why not invest your assets in the companies you really like? As Mae West said, 'Too much of a good thing can be wonderful'.

- Warren Buffett

Like, Invest, A Good Thing, Why Not

I would say the most satisfying thing actually is watching my three children each pick up on their own interests and work many more hours per week than most people that have jobs at trying to intelligently give away that money in fields that they particularly care about.

- Warren Buffett

Week, Own, Away, Satisfying

Beware of geeks bearing formulas.

- Warren Buffett

Beware, Bearing, Formulas, Geeks

I think the most important factor in getting out of the recession actually is just the regenerative capacity of - of American capitalism.

- Warren Buffett

Think, The Most Important, Factor

If past history was all there was to the game, the richest people would be librarians.

- Warren Buffett

Game, Past, Would, Richest

Should you find yourself in a chronically leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is likely to be more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks.

- Warren Buffett

Chronically, Likely, Devoted, Boat

In the business world, the rearview mirror is always clearer than the windshield.

- Warren Buffett

Mirror, World, Always, Business World

The only time to buy these is on a day with no 'y' in it.

- Warren Buffett

Time, Only, Buy, Only Time

I am a huge bull on this country. We will not have a double-dip recession at all. I see our businesses coming back almost across the board.

- Warren Buffett

Country, Will, Almost, Businesses

I sent one e-mail in my life. I sent it to Jeff Raikes at Microsoft, and it ended up in court in Minneapolis, so I am one for one.

- Warren Buffett

My Life, Microsoft, Jeff, E-Mail

You know, people talk about this being an uncertain time. You know, all time is uncertain. I mean, it was uncertain back in - in 2007, we just didn't know it was uncertain. It was - uncertain on September 10th, 2001. It was uncertain on October 18th, 1987, you just didn't know it.

- Warren Buffett

Back, About, Being, Uncertain

We always live in an uncertain world. What is certain is that the United States will go forward over time.

- Warren Buffett

Always, Over, United States, Uncertain

It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently.

- Warren Buffett

Think, Minutes, About, Ruin

We enjoy the process far more than the proceeds.

- Warren Buffett

Process, More, Far, Proceeds

Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.

- Warren Buffett

Inspirational, Long Time, Sitting

Derivatives are financial weapons of mass destruction.

- Warren Buffett

Finance, Derivatives, Weapons

You do things when the opportunities come along. I've had periods in my life when I've had a bundle of ideas come along, and I've had long dry spells. If I get an idea next week, I'll do something. If not, I won't do a damn thing.

- Warren Buffett

My Life, Week, Next, Spells

It's better to hang out with people better than you. Pick out associates whose behavior is better than yours and you'll drift in that direction.

- Warren Buffett

People, Hang, Associates, Drift

When you combine ignorance and leverage, you get some pretty interesting results.

- Warren Buffett

Some, Pretty, Leverage, Combine

If anything, taxes for the lower and middle class and maybe even the upper middle class should even probably be cut further. But I think that people at the high end - people like myself - should be paying a lot more in taxes. We have it better than we've ever had it.

- Warren Buffett

Maybe, I Think, Cut, Middle Class

If you get to my age in life and nobody thinks well of you, I don't care how big your bank account is, your life is a disaster.

- Warren Buffett

Life, Big, Your, Disaster

Look at market fluctuations as your friend rather than your enemy; profit from folly rather than participate in it.

- Warren Buffett

Market, Folly, Participate, Profit

Today people who hold cash equivalents feel comfortable. They shouldn't. They have opted for a terrible long-term asset, one that pays virtually nothing and is certain to depreciate in value.

- Warren Buffett

Nothing, Feel, Virtually, Cash

We've used up a lot of bullets. And we talk about stimulus. But the truth is, we're running a federal deficit that's 9 percent of GDP. That is stimulative as all get out. It's more stimulative than any policy we've followed since World War II.

- Warren Buffett

Used, About, World War, Bullets

I never attempt to make money on the stock market. I buy on the assumption that they could close the market the next day and not reopen it for five years.

- Warren Buffett

Next, Could, Buy, Stock

If a business does well, the stock eventually follows.

- Warren Buffett

Business, Follows, Does, Stock

It's never paid to bet against America. We come through things, but its not always a smooth ride.

- Warren Buffett

Through, Always, Bet, Smooth

There seems to be some perverse human characteristic that likes to make easy things difficult.

- Warren Buffett

Some, Things, Perverse, Characteristic

I just think that - when a country needs more income and we do, we're only taking in 15 percent of GDP, I mean, that - that - when a country needs more income, they should get it from the people that have it.

- Warren Buffett

Think, Income, Needs, Taking

Rule No.1: Never lose money. Rule No.2: Never forget rule No.1.

- Warren Buffett

Money, Forget, Never, Never Forget

Wide diversification is only required when investors do not understand what they are doing.

- Warren Buffett

Doing, Only, Wide, Diversification

We simply attempt to be fearful when others are greedy and to be greedy only when others are fearful.

- Warren Buffett

Fear, Only, Fearful, Greedy

We're still in a recession. We're not gonna be out of it for a while, but we will get out.

- Warren Buffett

Will, Still, Gonna, Recession

There are 309 million people out there that are trying to improve their lot in life. And we've got a system that allows them to do it.

- Warren Buffett

People, Got, Them, Million People

Risk is a part of God's game, alike for men and nations.

- Warren Buffett

Game, Alike, Part, Risk

You only have to do a very few things right in your life so long as you don't do too many things wrong.

- Warren Buffett

Right, Very, Your, Wrong

The rich are always going to say that, you know, just give us more money and we'll go out and spend more and then it will all trickle down to the rest of you. But that has not worked the last 10 years, and I hope the American public is catching on.

- Warren Buffett

Hope, American, Down, American Public

I always knew I was going to be rich. I don't think I ever doubted it for a minute.

- Warren Buffett

Think, Always, Ever, Doubted

Chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken.

- Warren Buffett

Broken, Habit, Chains, Heavy

Basically, when you get to my age, you'll really measure your success in life by how many of the people you want to have love you actually do love you.

- Warren Buffett

Love, Want, Your, Love You

Americans are in a cycle of fear which leads to people not wanting to spend and not wanting to make investments, and that leads to more fear. We'll break out of it. It takes time.

- Warren Buffett

Break, Wanting, Which, Investments

Time is the friend of the wonderful company, the enemy of the mediocre.

- Warren Buffett

Friend, Wonderful, Mediocre, Company

It's far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price.

- Warren Buffett

Better, Price, Far, Company

The business schools reward difficult complex behavior more than simple behavior, but simple behavior is more effective.

- Warren Buffett

Business, Reward, Effective, Schools

I buy expensive suits. They just look cheap on me.

- Warren Buffett

Funny, Me, Buy, Suits

A public-opinion poll is no substitute for thought.

- Warren Buffett

Thought, Substitute, Poll

The best thing I did was to choose the right heroes.

- Warren Buffett

Best, Heroes, Choose, Did

The first rule is not to lose. The second rule is not to forget the first rule.

- Warren Buffett

Lose, Forget, Rule, First

Predicting rain doesn't count. Building arks does.

- Warren Buffett

Rain, Does, Predicting, Count

Our favorite holding period is forever.

- Warren Buffett

Business, Holding, Period, Favorite

Only when the tide goes out do you discover who's been swimming naked.

- Warren Buffett

Tide, Discover, Been, Swimming

Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.

- Warren Buffett

Value, Pay, Get, Price

Only buy something that you'd be perfectly happy to hold if the market shut down for 10 years.

- Warren Buffett

Happy, Buy, Perfectly, Shut

Let blockheads read what blockheads wrote.

- Warren Buffett

Read, Wrote

Value is what you get.

- Warren Buffett

You, Get, Value

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