15 Life-Changing Quotes About Investing That You Need to Know

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15 Life-Changing Quotes About Investing That You Need to Know

There's no getting around it...

It's been a rocky start to 2022. Whether you're a newer investor or have been investing in the stock market for decades, it's often easy to get caught up in the day-to-day machinations of the market rather than keeping your focus on the broader picture and pursuing your long-term investing goals.

In times like these, it's helpful to look back at words of wisdom from investors throughout the years whose experiences and successes have helped to shape the financial markets as we know them.

With that, let's take a look at 15 life-changing quotes about investing that you absolutely need to know.

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1. "It's a basic fact of life that many things everybody knows turn out to be wrong." -- Jim Rogers

No one knows the future, not even the titans of Wall Street. Forming a consistent, durable investing strategy and focusing on building long-term wealth beat speculative buying every time.

ALSO READ: Is Now the Time to Go All-In on the Stock Market?

Person on teleconference with stock market chart on laptop screen.

2. "The stock market is a device to transfer money from the impatient to the patient." -- Warren Buffett

When the market is going through a period of volatility, it's easy to forget the wins and only focus on the dips. The trouble is, pulling out of the market during a down period may not only cause you to experience significant losses, but trying to time the perfect moment to get back in is next to impossible.

Adult in dark room looks thoughtfully at paperwork in front of laptop.

3. "Behind every stock, there is a company. Find out what it's doing." -- Peter Lynch

As a long-term investor, you invest in companies with the intention of holding them for many years. A commitment of this nature requires that you fully understand and study any business you are considering before you put your money down.

4. "It is remarkable how much long-term advantage people like us have gotten by trying to be consistently not stupid, instead of trying to be very intelligent." -- Charlie Munger

A solid long-term investing strategy shouldn't involve guesswork or mind games.

Businessperson on boat made out of hundred dollar bill looks at lightning storm.

5. "You are neither right nor wrong because the crowd disagrees with you. You are right because your data and reasoning are right." -- Warren Buffett

From past financial reports to industry headwinds/tailwinds to competitive advantage -- never invest in a stock unless you know it well and truly understand how the business operates.

5 Stocks Under $49
Presented by Motley Fool Stock Advisor
We hear it over and over from investors, “I wish I had bought Amazon or Netflix when they were first recommended by The Motley Fool. I’d be sitting on a gold mine!" It's true, but we think these 5 other stocks are screaming buys. And you can buy them now for less than $49 a share! Click here to learn how you can grab a copy of “5 Growth Stocks Under $49” for FREE for a limited time only.

Person playing chess and contemplating next move.

6. "The investor's chief problem -- and his worst enemy -- is likely to be himself. In the end, how your investments behave is much less important than how you behave." -- Benjamin Graham

Whether it's fear, greed, or a combination of both, emotions shouldn't play a role in your investing strategy or impact when and how you buy a given stock. Mindset is key. Staying focused on and working toward your investing goals in both rough and smooth markets will help you far more than trying to guess what the most profitable investments will be.

ALSO READ: Crypto Fear Index Shows 'Extreme Fear' Grips Most Buyers. Should You Invest Now?

7. "Those who keep learning will keep rising in life." -- Charlie Munger

Whether you're a new or a seasoned investor, no one is immune from investing mistakes. Rather than seeing those mistakes as failures, learn from them and put them to work to further sharpen your overall investing strategy.

Bull stock market with blue chip stocks.

8. "The stock market is a giant distraction to the business of investing." -- John Bogle

If you find yourself tempted to sell your stocks during a choppy period in the market, ask yourself, is it because shares are down or because the underlying business has taken a turn? The actions of the market alone shouldn't dictate your stock buying decisions, and neither an inflated nor deflated share price is a complete indicator of a quality company.

ALSO READ: Nasdaq Is Down but Investors Are Watching These 2 Winning Nasdaq Stocks

Person leaning back in chair with hands behind their head and looking at computer screen.

9. "Investing should be more like watching paint dry or watching grass grow. If you want excitement, take $800 and go to Las Vegas." -- Paul Samuelson

While it might be tempting to jump on the bandwagon of speculative investing, buying a company due to hype rather than on the basis of the underlying business can easily be a recipe for disaster.

Market crash on screen in foreground with upset person in background.

10. "Every once in a while, an up-or-down-leg goes on for a long time and/or to a great extreme and people start to say 'this time it's different.' ... And then it turns out that the old rules still apply and the cycle resumes." -- Howard Marks

While the factors at play in periods of volatility may fluctuate, the market itself is cyclical in nature. It goes up and down, it corrects and soars. Regularly building up your basket of stocks instead of trying to guess the best possible window to buy is the most effective way to cultivate a portfolio that produces returns in all of these periods.

5 Stocks Under $49
Presented by Motley Fool Stock Advisor
We hear it over and over from investors, “I wish I had bought Amazon or Netflix when they were first recommended by The Motley Fool. I’d be sitting on a gold mine!" It's true, but we think these 5 other stocks are screaming buys. And you can buy them now for less than $49 a share! Click here to learn how you can grab a copy of “5 Growth Stocks Under $49” for FREE for a limited time only.

Satisfied investor leaning back while looking at multiple screens

11. "The individual investor should act consistently as an investor and not as a speculator. This means ... that he should be able to justify every purchase he makes and each price he pays by impersonal, objective reasoning ..." -- Benjamin Graham

Businesses delivering stable growth and returns for investors may not catch the boost of short-lived speculative tailwinds, but they are far more likely to deliver superior returns over the long term.

ALSO READ: Want $1 Million in Retirement? Invest $250,000 in These 3 Stocks and Wait a Decade

12. "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

Sometimes, the underlying thesis for a stock you own doesn't hold up over the long term. Every investor needs to rebalance holdings from time to time. Trimming the "weeds" of your portfolio while focusing on growing your positions in excellent companies with durable business models is also part of a successful long-term investing strategy.

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13. "In the old legend the wise men finally boiled down the history of mortal affairs into a single phrase: 'This too will pass.'" -- Benjamin Graham

While periods of correction take time to right themselves, the market has shown investors time and time again that it always recovers.

ALSO READ: 3 Tech Stocks That Are Screaming Buys in April

A hand is holding a stopwatch against a backdrop of a stock chart.

14. "The idea that a bell rings to signal when to get into or out of the stock market is simply not credible. After nearly fifty years in this business, I don't know anybody who has done it successfully and consistently." -- John Bogle

Trying to time the market isn't just difficult -- the chances of getting it right are insurmountably slim.

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15. "The best way to measure your investing success is not by whether you're beating the market but whether you've put in place a financial plan and a behavioral discipline that are likely to get you where you want to go." -- Benjamin Graham

Investing is far more about patiently and regularly building up your portfolio around solid, timeless businesses rather than trying to forecast the peaks and valleys of the market.

5 Stocks Under $49
Presented by Motley Fool Stock Advisor
We hear it over and over from investors, “I wish I had bought Amazon or Netflix when they were first recommended by The Motley Fool. I’d be sitting on a gold mine!" It's true, but we think these 5 other stocks are screaming buys. And you can buy them now for less than $49 a share! Click here to learn how you can grab a copy of “5 Growth Stocks Under $49” for FREE for a limited time only.

Investing doesn't need to be complicated

One of the easiest ways to create unnecessary hurdles for yourself as an investor is to overcomplicate it. Rather than trying to guess which direction the market will turn next or try to time the dip, focus on investing in great businesses with strong competitive tailwinds that you intend to hold for years -- not weeks or months.

Don't invest money in the stock market that you're going to need over the next several years. In addition to adding to your portfolio consistently and in all types of markets, make sure you're also focusing on building up your nest egg -- money that you won't touch under regular circumstances but that you can rely upon in event of an emergency without needing to tap into your investments.

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15 Life-Changing Quotes About Investing That You Need to Know