Warren Buffett’s 7 Secrets for Me (and YOU) to Living a Happy and Simple Life

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08.13.08 at 11:06 pm

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1 Allen Taylor 08.09.08 at 12:33 am

Nice writing. You are on my RSS reader now so I can read more from you down the road.

Allen Taylor

2 Neill 08.09.08 at 2:16 pm

I think that the fact that Buffet isn’t attached to material things and has accumulated so much money is down to the same thing; he doesn’t feed his ego by attaching undue importance to material wealth (he does’t suffer from affluenza).

Funny how the principle of non-attachment applies to so many things in life.

I also agree with the idea that overcomplicating things can sometimes give worse results. My theory (ultra short) is that given there are a potential infinite number of variables in place, trying to model in too much depth might cause you to only look in one particular direction which cause you to miss out counterbalancing factors. A simpler model actually takes counter-acting variables into balance in a wierd way. Don’t know if that makes sense.

I’ve been listening to Peter Schiff and Jim Rogers a lot. They have lots of videos on YouTube.

3 Mike 08.10.08 at 5:21 pm

agree with lots of points there, especially the one about having the right people around you. but it’s not easy to find these ‘right people’. i’ve also had to ‘give up’ on some relationships that were just counterproductive in my life, and it was sad but had to be done.

warren buffett also suggests looking at vanguard no hold index tracker funds if you’re looking at investing a nice sum of money. so maybe something to look into.

-mike

4 Vince 08.11.08 at 3:40 am

Thanks to all - glad you guys like this. Allen will also check out your blog! Neill, Jim Rogers is the man. Never herad of Peter Schiff. Who is he? Mike - well said. Buffett’s vanguard advice from his annual meeting I think is for people with at least 6 figures to invest so not for the light hearted. But certainly worth mentioning. -Vince

5 Will 08.12.08 at 1:17 pm

In response to #5, wouldn’t putting all of your money into oil or gold futures be pretty much diametrically opposed to Buffett’s advice of buying index funds?

6 Ali 08.13.08 at 12:07 am

I agree with all of them. But most of us are waiting for a step by step manual to happiness and prosper or even a miracle. and think these are not practical and just are theory.
But what I just understood is that the pattern is similar but details are different for every person and everyone first should know and believe these and then knowing the patterns must find his/her own way.

Thanks much for this article.

Ali

—–
“Everything you can imagine is real” Picasso

7 Vince 08.13.08 at 1:40 am

U’re welcome Ali Thanks for your comments! Will - yes it would definitely. I was just thinking more in terms of keeping things simple, vs the complex way I was going about things. I still don’t know about investing so would love to hear your further thoughts. However def solid point, something to bear in mind!

8 Kelly 08.13.08 at 6:09 am

I wonder if he thought these things up before he was rich or after.

Not meaning to be too snide, I always wonder why the people with money are the only ones who think it’s not a big deal in their lives. What would these people think if they had a sick child they couldn’t afford to bring to emergency. A rent payment they had to make or face living in the street. Having to drive to work on bald tires. Put a beloved pet down because they couldn’t pay the vet bills. Have their teeth pulled because they couldn’t afford a dentist. Worry about how safe they are sleeping in their vehicle.

Would they still say that making money is the by-product of their guiding purpose?

Money is important. It gives you choice and it allows you to hope. I wish people would give money the importance it deserves in our society today.

9 Ali 08.13.08 at 12:39 pm

Many of rich people had bad days or even years facing problems you mentioned or even worse problems.

Yes; money is important. But that doesn’t means that rich get richer and poor get poorer.

Some of most rich people at the start just wanted to provide good food for their families.

10 grant 08.13.08 at 4:16 pm

Buffett really has been that way for decades. Some of his investment ideas are so painfully simple and obvious that you feel silly for over thinking. He drinks Diet Coke everyday so he invested in Coca Cola. The guy decided to invest in Gillette because that’s the type of razor he uses.

11 Alex Bastard 08.15.08 at 12:55 pm

Total Bollocks

12 Stop Smoking 08.15.08 at 5:56 pm

Great writing and you have such a way with words, it’s beautiful. Most people want much more than the simple things in life yet when you really think about it the simple things count the most.

13 Veda 11.28.08 at 4:08 pm

Yes -

If you deserve and weal
You will live with verve and heal !!

That is what the ‘happy billionaires’ have done all along and keep doing… If they should stop short of that they will lose on their weal and heal as weal..
[health and wealth that is ]….

We can all get into that grove if we care…

Veda
artist/social scientist
Bangalore - India

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