Quotessence
Home / Authors / Christopher Manske Biography

Christopher Manske Biography

Author

Related Quotes

“In our race to show off our wealth, we are more like a rat on a wheel consuming material goods while trying to keep up with the Jones family.”

“Homes, and other purchases like it, supposedly prove to our community that we have money, but many times these purchases are just signaling to others that we used to have money.”

“Money made by our own effort is limited by how much time, energy, and attention we can give to a task along with what other people will pay for us to do that task. Making money in this firsthand fashion is hard on us because we run our own personal rat race.”

“Don’t increase your lifestyle until your passive income surpasses your active income. You’ll know you can and should buy that luxury item when the cost of keeping it is totally covered by your passive income. The things you own (such as dividend-paying stocks, oil partnerships, and real estate investment trusts) should pay for the things you enjoy and consume.”

“A group of investments isn’t something people can touch or examine in the physical world. Instead, the statement is the lens that investors use to view and understand their finances. It is what’s inserted between the observer and the observed, which, it’s important to note, is not created by the investor.”

“Our privacy can serve as a form of protection during times of crisis and can offer a polite boundary of respect and good manners during times of tranquility.”

“There are specific ways the system actually is rigged and distorted so that our perception of our money is manipulated, very similar to how a stage magician does illusions. And also, like those stage tricks, these financial manipulations are easy to see through with just a little bit of education and focus.”

“If you’ve ever thought that it shouldn’t be so hard to examine your investment portfolio or hold your financial advisor accountable, you’re right. The system distorts your view of your money in the same way that a magician stacks the deck against the audience. It’s not evil or bad, but once you know how the magician does the illusion, you simply cannot be tricked so easily anymore. And once we all are in on the trick, the financial industry will need to improve, because the old, tired illusions won’t work anymore.”

“Just because brokerages disclose a convoluted web of profiteering doesn’t mean it’s appropriate. It just means they are hiding these questionable practices in plain sight with a mountain of compliance language that no one will ever read.”

“Tomorrow’s unknown crisis is not something to avoid in fear. It requires our attention and deliberation. We just need to have the courage to face the truth of our future’s uncertainty. We just need to be prepared.”

“What stops people from thinking ahead and getting ready for the possibility of crisis? The majority of people surely understand the importance of preparation…”

“By keeping enough cash to cover at least one month of your typical spending, you’ve created enough liquidity to weather every crisis situation that has occurred so far in modern history.”

“A portfolio can only be “seen” as the data representing the holdings in each account, which means that your monthly investment statement is not actually your portfolio of stocks and bonds. Instead, the investment statement is more like the wrapper or costume between you and your money.”

“Mother Nature convincingly suggests that those who stay scared and run with the herd are more likely to stay alive. As investors around you behave irrationally and the news describes a miasma that will last for years, it’s easy to lose sight of your well-laid plans. It’s tempting to join the herd…”

“Wall Street treats all crises the same despite the fact that people react to the threat of war very differently from other crises like disease, systemic medical incompetence, or the failure to maintain a country’s transportation infrastructure.”

“If you reinvest dividends, which can often be a very smart investment move, you will no longer get to see on your statement what you originally paid to buy the position. Instead, our dividend profit masquerades as principal in a very powerful illusion that affects almost every investor.”

“The profession of journalism is an important one and considered by many to be a mandatory component of a free society. Will you get access to the brightest minds and greatest reporters for free? Perhaps, but if we hope to continue to see their best work, society needs to support them properly. Be a paid subscriber.”

“Most people believe, “My lifestyle is about the same every month. Our savings are fixed. We make a salary, so what we earn is fixed. And lastly, what we spend is fixed.” But the truth is that no one reading this book has a robotic life filled with endless repeating loops where they get paid the exact same amount of money every single month for decades on end. We all have fluctuations in our income.”

“Treat debt the same as a really sharp sword. Use debt sparingly for well-thought-out reasons. Maintain debt properly. Aim to retire your debts at a reasonable point in the future.”

“We’re conditioned that our success (and our neighbor’s) is best measured by looking at our possessions. Those possessions influence perception, and because a certain perception earns us status, we chase the proof of wealth rather than wealth itself.”

“A reflection of something cannot exist without the real thing to support it. Said another way, a reflection of something is dependent on what’s true and real.”

“When something—a mirror, an inaccurate measurement, or a costume—comes between us and the things we observe, facts can become less apparent, or they can get hidden away.”

“Perception trumps reality. People react to what they think is occurring, which isn’t necessarily the same thing as what’s truly happening.”