Making an investment decision is like formulating a scientific hypothesis and submitting it to a practical test. The main difference is that the hypothesis that underlies an investment decision is intended to make money and not to establish a universally valid generalization.

George Soros

Categorized in : Decision Differences Investing

The main obstacle to a stable and just world order is the United States.

George Soros

united-states order world

It's not whether you're right or wrong that's important, but how much money you make when you're right and how much you lose when you're wrong

George Soros

saving important business

Once we realize that imperfect understanding is the human condition there is no shame in being wrong, only in failing to correct our mistakes.

George Soros

failure understanding mistake

I'm not better than the next trader, just quicker at admitting my mistakes and moving on to the next opportunity.

George Soros

mistake opportunity moving

The main enemy of the open society, I believe, is no longer the communist but the capitalist threat.

George Soros

laissez-faire-capitalism believe enemy

Discount the obvious, bet on the unexpected

George Soros

discounts obvious unexpected

The sovereignty of states must be subordinated to international law and international institutions.

George Soros

institutions states law

There is no point in being confident and having a small position.

George Soros

no-point be-confident position

Find the trend whose premise is false, and bet against it.

George Soros

premises investing trends

If investing is entertaining, if you're having fun, you're probably not making any money. Good investing is boring.

George Soros

investing-money boring fun

Making an investment decision is like formulating a scientific hypothesis and submitting it to a practical test.

George Soros

investment tests decision

To others, being wrong is a source of shame; to me, recognizing my mistakes is a source of pride.

George Soros

shame pride mistake

Law has become a business. Health care has become a business. Unfortunately, politics has also become a business. That really undermines society.

George Soros

health-care care law

To be successful, you need leisure. You need time hanging heavily on your hands.

George Soros

successful hands needs

I'm only rich because I know when I'm wrong...I basically have survived by recognizing my mistakes.

George Soros

wealth money mistake

The main difference between me and other people who have amassed this kind of money is that I am primarily interested in ideas, and I don't have much personal use for money.

George Soros

differences money ideas

Economic history is a never-ending series of episodes based on falsehoods and lies, not truths. It represents the path to big money. The object is to recognize the trend whose premise is false, ride that trend and step off before it is discredited.

George Soros

economic-history trends lying

We [at Soros Fund Management] use options and more exotic derivatives sparingly. We try to catch new trends early and in later stages we try to catch trend reversals. Therefore, we tend to stabilize rather than destabilize the market. We are not doing this as a public service. It is our style of making money.

George Soros

style use trying

Investors operate with limited funds and intelligence, they do not need to know everything. As long as they understand something better than others, they have an edge.

George Soros

something-better long needs

The worse a situation becomes the less it takes to turn it around, the bigger the upside.

George Soros

turns situation bigger