He said: 

“If thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.”

Orwell wasn’t just talking about politicians. He was talking about everyone who hides behind words. The kind of writing that sounds smart but says nothing. 

The kind that uses phrases like “leverage synergies” or “drive holistic alignment.” You read it, and it feels like English, but you have no clue what it means. During my time in the corporate world, I was constantly exposed to that writing, and it always annoyed me.

But here’s the problem: No matter how much you dislike vague writing, if you’re exposed to it, you risk becoming a vague writer!

Orwell admitted that as well. He gave an example of how he changed his own vague writing. One of his sentences looked like this:

“Objective considerations of contemporary phenomena compel the conclusion that success or failure in competitive activities exhibits no tendency to be commensurate with innate capacity.”

Then he rewrote it as:

“I believe that the present political chaos is connected with the decay of language.”

Same idea. One hides behind words. The other tells the truth.

Vague writing comes from vague thinking

Orwell emphasized that vague writing is a direct cause of vague thinking. 

When you can’t express what you mean, it’s usually because you don’t know what you mean.

And that problem is getting worse today. When are people forced to do some thinking?

In between watching TikTok videos or sending back and forth memes to each other?

We hardly ever practice our thinking and writing skills. During the day, we do our work, and in our time off, we just consume content.

Now, if you have a dynamic job that forces you to think about new solutions every day, you don’t really need to make time to practice your thinking skills. 

For example, if you design and make custom furniture for a living, you’re constantly commissioned to make new pieces. And every customer requires something different.

But most of us don’t have careers like that. We generally do the same thing every day. 

But let’s say that your work does require complex problem-solving. 

The problem is that we as humans tend to become complacent. After a while, we all get used to our work and risk doing work on autopilot. I like to believe that my work is also dynamic, but the truth is that my job as an author is to turn complex ideas into simple ones.

The underlying principle is the same. And that’s why I’ve had many periods of complacency as well. That’s why I’m also always investing in stocks.

Being an active investor challenges me to think about my stock picks every day. What should I buy? What should I sell? Why? What’s happening in the economy?

Thinking and journaling about those questions really keeps me sharp. I’m constantly challenging my own thinking and making sure I can articulate my thoughts into coherent sentences.

6 practical rules for clear writing

Alright, writing clearly is important. And to write clearly, you must think clearly.

Because if you can do that, your life will be better on every level. A clear thinker will…

• write better AI prompts
• understand themselves better
• be able to set goals and knows how to achieve them.

That’s just a few of the benefits of becoming a clear thinker and writer. And this is now more relevant than ever.

Let’s go back to George Orwell for some advice.

He ended his essay with practical rules that feel more relevant than ever (and apply perfectly to AI prompts as well):

1. Never use a metaphor or other figure of speech you are used to seeing in print.
2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
4. Use direct, active language that shows who is doing what, instead of hiding the action behind vague phrasing.
5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

That’s the “clear thought creates clear output” philosophy distilled.

Break the rules!

Orwell’s last point is my favorite one: Clarity and honesty matter more than blindly following rules.

So even though we’ve laid out a bunch of rules and we can create systems for thinking/writing better, the goal is NOT to always stick to them.

If following a writing rule makes your sentence stiff, unnatural, or false, just break the rule!

The goal isn’t to sound or look perfect in today’s world.

It’s to say something true and human.

The post How to Think Clearly in a World of Noise appeared first on Darius Foroux.

At the time, many would have considered putting so much capital into a single business risky. But Munger and Buffett believed that the company’s capital resources were a better trade-off.

Their investments paid off when Blue Chip Stamps became a key part of Berkshire Hathaway’s portfolio. And they used the company’s capital to fund their other investments like See’s Candies, Wesco Financial, The Buffalo Evening News, and Precision Steel.

This experience shaped Munger’s belief that diversification isn’t always necessary. As he famously said:

“The whole secret of investment is to find places where it’s safe and wise to non-diversify. It’s just that simple.”

When you think about it, why put your money in 20 mediocre companies when you can invest in 3 that will actually yield higher results?

Munger’s strategy showed that concentrated investments in high-quality businesses can lead to extraordinary returns. This shows that reading about successful investors from the best investing books can teach us valuable lessons.

The following five lessons from the best investing books.

1. The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham: Focus on value, not price

The economist and investor, Benjamin Graham’s The Intelligent Investor is an old, but classic book on investing. It teaches value investing: Buying stocks that are cheap compared to what they’re really worth.

This book isn’t about guessing stock prices. It’s about investing logically and sticking to a plan. As Graham said:

“The intelligent investor is a realist who sells to optimists and buys from pessimist.”

Graham says you should understand what you’re buying and focus on long-term value, not short-term price changes.

Warren Buffett loves this book. It really is one of the most influential investing books. Even until the present, Graham’s idea of the “margin of safety” is still big in investing.

2. Berkshire Hathaway Letters to Shareholders: Always think long-term

Buffett’s letters to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders are a goldmine of investing knowledge. They’re like personal lessons from one of the best investors ever. Buffett doesn’t just talk about stocks. He talks about patience, understanding businesses, and thinking long-term.

Berkshire Hathaway Letters to Shareholders isn’t just about investing. Buffett shares his mistakes and what he learned, which is helpful for any investor. As Buffett said:

“The stock market is a device for transferring money from the impatient to the patient.”

This means focusing on long-term ownership and ignoring short-term market ups and downs.

Buffett’s letters show that success isn’t about guessing when to buy or sell. It’s about owning great companies for a long time. This focus on long-term value (which Graham also talks about) is something every investor needs to remember.

3. Against the Gods — The Remarkable Story of Risk by Peter Bernstein: Understand and manage risk

Peter Bernstein’s Against the Gods explores how humans have learned to understand and manage risk throughout history.

This book dives deep into how risk shapes financial markets and human progress. It shows how risk management is the foundation of every successful financial decision.

Whenever you invest, you have the risk of losing your money. No one has total control of the stock market. So it’s important to learn how to manage that risk. Mastering risk management is what separates successful investors from those who lose all their money.

Bernstein shows that our ability to predict risk and uncertainty has been the key to progress in financial markets. One of Bernstein’s most powerful lines sums up the book’s message:

“The essence of risk management lies in maximizing the areas where we have some control over the outcome while minimizing the areas where we have absolutely no control over the outcome.”

This advice is essential for anyone building a strong portfolio.

4. How to Trade in Stocks by Jesse Livermore: Manage your emotions

How to Trade in Stocks by Jesse Livermore is a timeless lesson on the role of emotions in investing.

Livermore was a legendary stock trader in the early 20th century, and I actually wrote about him intensively both in my blog and in my latest book. His life and investing career are interesting and full of insights.

How to Trade in Stocks emphasizes the importance of discipline and emotional control in trading. Livermore built and lost fortunes multiple times, and much of this book reflects the wisdom he gained from those experiences.

The most valuable insight from this book is Livermore’s warning against the dangers of emotional investing.

“The stock market is never obvious. It is designed to fool most of the people, most of the time.”

Livermore emphasizes that it’s essential to remain objective, especially during volatile markets. The market is full of noise—hype, rumors, and fear—and it’s easy for investors to get caught up in it.

As an investor, you must be able to separate your emotions from your decision-making process. Livermore’s focus on emotional control and disciplined trading is as important today as it was a century ago.

5. How I Made $2,000,000 in the Stock Market by Nicolas Darvas: Stick to your system

Nicolas Darvas wasn’t a professional investor—he was a dancer. Through self-study and discipline, he made millions in the stock market.

His book, How I Made $2,000,000 in the Stock Market, details his famous “Box System” for identifying stocks poised for growth. What makes this book different is the author’s unconventional path and his strict adherence to his own system, even when others doubted him.

The lesson from this book is simple: Develop a system that works for you, and stick to it.

Darvas created a strategy based on stock price movements and volume patterns, and he disciplined himself to follow that system no matter what the market did. As he puts it:

“There are no good or bad stocks, there are only rising and falling stocks.”

Darvas’ story proves that you don’t need to be a Wall Street insider to succeed in the stock market. What you need is a clear, well-defined system and the discipline to execute it consistently.

It’s all about the long game

When you go online, it might seem like millions of people are getting rich quickly by buying Bitcoin, Gamestop stocks, or other things. Every week, there’s a story about some asset going up by hundreds of percent in a short time.

Those are outliers. Most of us will never get rich that quickly. You can get lucky, of course. But luck is not an investing strategy. That doesn’t mean you can’t get rich over a longer period.

In the long run, public markets are still the best way to build wealth. You can’t afford not to invest.

Investing is difficult because it goes against human nature. We need to make choices today that pay off in the future. Too many folks want instant gratification.

While most assets have gone up in value over the last century, our purchasing power hasn’t changed. Sure, wages have increased. But so has inflation. End result? If you don’t invest, you’ll likely lose money over the long term.

That’s the advantage of learning from the best investing books. When you have a strong foundational knowledge of investing, you can execute sustainable investing decisions.

The post 5 Investment Lessons From the Best Investing Books appeared first on Darius Foroux.

”‘Tis easier to suppress the first desire than to satisfy all that follow it.”

This is a timeless truth about human nature and how we’re constantly pursuing our first desire.

Let’s say you’re scrolling through your social media feed and stumble across an ad for a shiny new gadget for your kitchen.

Maybe some magic trash bin that opens automatically when you look at it. The bin has eyes and knows you’re looking at it. Pretty neat, right?

“I need one of those!” You think.

But hold on a second – is it really necessary? Or is it just a fleeting desire sparked by clever marketing?

Remember Benjamin Franklin. In this case, it’s not about the trash bin. It’s about becoming a mindless consumer. If you always think, “I got to have that,” it becomes a lifestyle.

Now, this is a silly example. But Franklin’s advice is so true. We all have so many desires throughout the day. We can’t satisfy every urge we have.

It’s like opening a Pandora’s box of wants that are never fully satisfied.

That’s why it’s better to suppress that initial urge.

No pleasure without non-pleasure

Look, this is a philosophical topic.

Yin and yang.

If you only have pleasure, it becomes your default state, and you don’t realize how good it is.

But if you have some discomfort, some non-pleasure, it helps you fully appreciate the times of pleasure. For example, I’ve talked about how I once moved to Spain to see if I wanted to live there.

Compared to the weather in the Netherlands, where I’m from, Spain looks much better. However, I discovered that I prefer the conveniences I have in the Netherlands. I realized I took those for granted until I missed them in Spain.

The same concept can be applied to our consumerist culture.

We are constantly bombarded with ads that tell us what we need or should want. It’s an endless cycle of wanting more and more, always chasing the next shiny new thing.

But things only feel good because you also experience bad things.

Think about it. Rest feels good after work. Food tastes better after an intense workout.

This is why restraint is such an important topic. It helps you enjoy life to the fullest.

The power of restraint

How do we combat these urges that seem so irresistible at the moment? This is where self-restraint comes in. (Which is rare in our culture of instant gratification).

Restraint is not about denying yourself pleasures. It’s about making conscious choices instead of letting your impulsive desires lead your actions.

Always ask yourself: “Do I really need this?” or “Is this truly beneficial for me?”

One practical way to exercise restraint is to practice delayed gratification. This means resisting an immediate reward in favor of a later, often greater, benefit.

Remember the famous ‘Marshmallow Test’? Kids were given a marshmallow and told they could have a second one if they could wait 15 minutes without eating the first.¹

Those who managed to wait generally fared better in life, demonstrating the power of delayed gratification.

6 tips for improving your self-restraint

Self-restraint is like a muscle. The more you exercise it, the stronger it gets. Here are seven practical tips to help you build this invaluable skill:

1. Practice mindfulness: Being present in the moment can help you recognize impulsive urges and choose not to act on them. Try mindfulness exercises or meditation to enhance your self-awareness.
2. Use healthy distractions: When a desire hits, distract yourself with something beneficial. Go for a walk, read a book, or do some stretches. This can help shift your focus away from the urge.
3. Remember your goals: Every time you follow an impulse desire, you trade away your genuine goals. Take impulse purchases, for example. Money means freedom. Every time you spend money, you lose a bit of that freedom. If you’re saving money for a house and end up spending what you saved on an expensive vacation or a car, you’re delaying your most important goals in exchange for satisfying an urge.
4. Delay for a few minutes: Impulse urges often go away on their own. They just need a bit of time. Practice waiting before indulging in your desires. Start small – wait 15 minutes before giving in to a craving. Gradually increase this time. You’ll be surprised at how often the desire fades.
5. Surround yourself with similar-minded people: It’s easier to exercise restraint when you’re around people who have the same goals. Working out and improving your diet is hard when the folks around you are all couch potatoes and junk food consumers. Same thing for the shopaholics. Stick with friends and family who can keep you accountable.
6. Forgive yourself and move on: Everyone slips up sometimes. If you give in to a desire, don’t beat yourself up. Acknowledge the slip, learn from it, and move forward. It’s all about being consistent.

In our daily lives, we are constantly bombarded with desires – for material possessions, success, recognition, and more.

Giving in to every single one not only exhausts us but also leaves us unsatisfied and always wanting more.

So, the next time you feel that first desire creeping up on you, remember Ben Franklin’s wise words.

Take a moment to reflect, exercise restraint, and consider the power of delayed gratification.

The peace and satisfaction that come from this practice far outweigh the fleeting pleasure of immediate gratification.

The post Don’t Give In To That First Desire appeared first on Darius Foroux.

But then, he began to feel an itch. Why not use that money to travel? Or maybe buy a new car?

The house he was dreaming of buying still seemed far out of reach, and the money sitting in his bank account was so readily accessible.

I asked him, “What do you think your future self will think if you spent it?”

His response was a pause followed by a contemplative silence. It got him thinking – and it’s something we all need to ponder.

With homeownership becoming more difficult in today’s economy, it’s understandable why some might consider using their hard-earned savings for other purchases instead. But you know that you’ll likely regret doing so.

Here’s the reality: The world won’t follow our plans.

All kinds of things can happen that derail your plans. Whether that’s financial like inflation or high interest rates, or emotional, like dealing with depression.

But no matter what happens, it doesn’t mean you should give up your plans altogether.

In my friend’s case, he needs to make sure his money goes towards the house down payment. Plans can change because of external circumstances, but when we can actually achieve our goals, we should.

So, how can you ensure that you don’t squander your savings? And how do you stay on track and use your money for your goals?

Remember that money is emotional, not logical

Look, you can’t calculate or budget yourself toward financial freedom.

You can spend so little and still not feel wealthy. Or you can earn a lot and end up spending most of it. It’s all about your mindset.

Our spending habits are often tied to our desires, fears, and self-worth. We often make money mistakes when we make financial decisions based on emotions rather than logic.

When it comes to spending our savings, it’s easy to get swayed by our impulses. Personal finance authors Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez said it well in their book, Your Money or Your Life:

“Money is something you trade your life energy for. You sell your time for money. It doesn’t matter that Ned over there sells his time for a hundred dollars and you sell yours for twenty dollars an hour. Ned’s money is irrelevant to you. The only real asset you have is your time. The hours of your life.”

Sometimes, we also give in to the urge for immediate pleasure. So, before you touch your savings, take a moment to think.

Why do you want to make a purchase?

• Is it something you really need and does it match your long-term financial goals?
• Or are you being pushed by outside pressures? These could be other people’s expectations, or trying to prove something to others.
• Maybe you’re buying things out of boredom, and you don’t really want that purchase as much?

By being self-aware, you can stay clear of decisions that can bring your financial ruin.

Make NOT spending easier

Spending is a habit. And like any habit, a good habit is easier to keep when your environment encourages you to keep doing it. On the flip side, a bad habit is easier to break when you remove or avoid triggers that lead to it.

So, if you find yourself constantly tempted to spend money, try making some changes to your environment:

• Limit your access to online shopping sites by turning off notifications or deleting apps.
• Unsubscribe from email newsletters that promote sales and discounts.
• Avoid physical stores unless you have a specific item in mind that you need to purchase.

By removing these triggers, you can make it easier to resist impulsive purchases.

Additionally, finding alternative activities or hobbies that don’t involve spending money can also be helpful.

Remember: Spending money is not bad! It’s actually necessary and good. If you use money well, it drastically improves the quality of your life.

The point is that you don’t want to make spending money habitual. When you eat out several times a week and always go to fancy restaurants, you get used to it. And the experience becomes normal.

But if you occasionally go to a fancy restaurant, you’ll have a 10/10 experience every single time.

The first step to achieving your goals is sticking to your plans

We don’t control outcomes, but we control our actions. If you have a long-term goal, like buying a house someday, then you won’t reach that if you spend your savings on impulse buying.

Remember, it’s not about depriving yourself of things you want. It’s about being intentional with how you spend your money.

Always think about your long-term goals and whether a purchase will bring you closer to them.

Remember, we control our money, not the other way around.

The post Spend Your Money According To YOUR Plans appeared first on Darius Foroux.

In short, they said that Stoicism is about living a simple and stringent life. There’s no room for the pursuit of wealth in that lifestyle.

In this article, I will show you exactly why that’s not true and how you can become wealthy whilst experiencing the mental benefits of Stoicism.

And I’m going to do that by destroying the most common money myths. These are true not only for many followers of Stoicism but also for other modest humans who aim to live simple but rich lives.

Myth 1: Ethics and money don’t go together

It’s true that the self-help, advice, pop psychology, and Stoicism industry is a billion-dollar-a-year industry.

I’ve spent a lot of time reading the Stoicism and Philosophy Subreddits. And in general, there’s a lot of skepticism when it comes to people who create content.

I agree with that skepticism. There are a lot of people who are only out for your money. They see the whole self-help industry as a simple way to earn money. And that’s 100% true, especially if you look at the mind-numbing content on social media that attracts millions of views.

But that doesn’t mean everyone who creates content is evil or isn’t ethical. My two favorite authors in this space are Robert Greene and Tim Ferriss. The amount of wisdom that they’ve collectively put out in the form of books, podcasts, and videos is enough to change the lives of millions of people.

Ferriss and Greene are, in my opinion, ethical creators. While I don’t know them personally, from what I can tell, they are also very wealthy. But you can tell that their content comes from a good place. They are here to share what they’ve learned from others. And along the way, they made a good living from it.

As Epictetus said, you must always be your own judge and choose ethics over money (which is what the mob is after):

“You must be a unified human being, either good or bad. You must diligently work either on your own reasoning or on things out of your control-take great care with the inside and not what’s outside, which is to say, stand with the philosopher, or else with the mob.”

If you always take care of what’s inside first, you will not be driven by what’s outside.

Myth 2: Money is evil

“Anyone who aims to be rich is a grifter or sellout,” one person commented. Again, this is 100% true.

If your sole aim is to make money without explicitly making it clear, you’re a grifter. A lot of false prophets disguise their ads as advice. They pretend they are helping people for free.

But they are simply using mass persuasion techniques to get to people’s wallets.

However, just because grifters want money, it doesn’t mean money itself is evil. Or that money makes everyone evil.

Once again, we turn to Epictetus for answers. He said this about money:

“If you can make money remaining honest, trustworthy, and dignified, by all means do it. But you don’t have to make money if you have to compromise your integrity.”

It might not seem like it, but you can certainly be honest and make money. Take the car salesman or realtor. Everyone says they can’t be trusted. But is that true for all of them?

Of course not. I’ve dealt with untrustworthy and dishonest realtors in the past. But I’ve also worked with honest ones. My brother bought a condo a few years ago, and the realtor even talked him out of overbidding by a lot.

Wait, what? A realtor who actually tells you that you’re offering too much money? Yes, they exist too. Not all of them are driven by commissions.

You know, there are also people who work in real estate who actually feel good when they help another human being with their primary need, which is to find shelter.

I own two rental properties, and one of my tenants has been with me since 2020. I haven’t raised his rent once. He’s a high school teacher who takes care of my property.

Why would I raise his rent every year? My bank also doesn’t raise my interest rate every year for my own house. Plus, I’m already profiting from the rising property value.

Ultimately, the Stoics were about making the world a better place.

Myth 3: If you pursue money, you will also pursue sex, drugs, and rock & roll

A healthy obsession with money is okay. My obsession with building wealth comes from my childhood.

As a child of immigrants, I lived with a constant fear of not having enough money to live well. We always lived from paycheck to paycheck and my parents often fought over money.

My only desire back then was to have enough money so I never have to worry about that anymore. So I pursued money because of that reason.

Along the way, I discovered philosophy and in particular, Stoicism. I realized that money is only a means to an end. And that getting on the hedonic treadmill, fulfilling all your desires is a one-way ticket to destruction.

If you pursue desires like sex, drugs, and partying, you will find that there is no end to that journey. Everyone realizes that sooner or later.

The problem is that some people are so deep in that lifestyle that it’s impossible to break free. The other people who realize it on time can give it up and get on a more philosophical path.

What does that even mean? According to Seneca, one of the wealthier Stoics, a good life is about the following:

”Happy is the man who can endure the highest and lowest fortune. He who has endured such vicissitudes with equanimity has deprived misfortune of its power.”

No matter how great, fun, boring, or hard life is, a Stoic will find happiness and tranquility.

How to be a rich Stoic

Let’s put everything together. Yes, you can be Stoic and pursue wealth. And you can also be a wealthy Stoic. Here’s how:

1. Earn an honest living: Focus on earning money through honest and ethical means. Prioritize your values and integrity over quick gains. This aligns with the Stoic principle of living according to your values.
2. Invest wisely: Use a disciplined approach to investing. Avoid getting swayed by market hype and short-term fluctuations. Instead, focus on long-term growth and stability, which reflects the Stoic emphasis on patience and rational decision-making.
3. Manage your emotions: Cultivate emotional resilience to handle market volatility and financial uncertainties. By managing your emotions, you can make more rational and less impulsive investment decisions, embodying the Stoic practice of maintaining equanimity.
4. Develop unique skills: Invest in yourself by developing unique skills and talents. This not only enhances your earning potential but also aligns with the Stoic idea of self-improvement and mastery.
5. Live simply: Embrace a lifestyle of simplicity and moderation. Avoid excessive consumerism and focus on what truly matters, such as honor, integrity, and personal growth. This reflects the Stoic value of living a life of virtue over material excess.

By following these principles, you can achieve financial success while staying true to Stoic philosophy.

Wealth, when pursued with wisdom and integrity, can be a tool for living a virtuous and fulfilling life.

Order The Stoic Path to Wealth

My new book, The Stoic Path to Wealth (Portfolio / Penguin), is out now.

If you order now, you will instantly get free access to 4 products, worth over $500.

Learn more here: stoicpathtowealth.com

The post The Rich Stoic: Whether You Have Money or Not, Be Content appeared first on Darius Foroux.