A few things I am pretty sure about
You don't need to have a crystal ball to know that some people will navigate the future better than others.
Sure, money can buy happiness, but it also adds layers of complexity—and that complexity can quickly spiral into unhappiness.
On social media, it's all too easy to confuse attention with being right or admired.
The most valuable asset in personal finance? Not needing to impress anyone.
A bigger problem than price inflation is expectations inflation: the relentless rise in what you need to feel satisfied.
The beliefs people hold most strongly are often about the things with the least certainty. No one gets as fired up about geometry as they do about religion.
Sustainability is my only interest. Endurance and longevity are the keys to success in so many areas of life.
The right financial mindset? Be cautious enough to save for the short term and bold enough to invest for the long term.
Projection is a powerful force. Be wary of those who constantly proclaim their honesty and trustworthiness.
No amount of intelligence can withstand the onslaught of ego, insecurity, immorality, bad incentives, or impatience—usually in that order.
There's a vast gap between how something should work in theory and how it actually works in the real world, where technical facts collide with human emotions.
People only communicate a tiny fraction of what’s on their minds, so the world is likely much crazier and messier than it appears. And remember, it's easier to spot others' mistakes than your own because we judge others on their actions, but we justify our own mistakes through internal dialogue.
Everyone despises a spoiled child and recognizes that they’re socially doomed, yet many still crave easy money. The irony? Money that you didn’t earn or work hard for quickly becomes a social burden.
The four most dangerous financial traits are: FOMO, a craving for certainty where there is none, impatience, and laziness.
Most fields have only a few immutable laws. There are plenty of theories, hunches, observations, ideas, trends, and rules. But laws—things that are always true—are rare.
Woodrow Wilson once said government "is accountable to Darwin, not to Newton." It's a valuable idea. Everything is accountable to one of the two, and you need to know whether something evolves over time or remains constant.
Some of my best work flowed effortlessly, while the worst pieces were agonizing to write. I think this holds true across many fields. When an idea is good, work flows easily. Writer’s block—or its equivalent in other jobs—often signals that the idea is flawed.
You truly know someone if you can accurately predict how they’ll react under stress.
It’s a common misconception that people admire you for your success; what you might actually be fostering is envy, which can come back to haunt you.
Not caring about the temporary and obsessing over the permanent is highly underrated.
I updated my website:
https://www.joshwagenbach.com/
Much Love,
M
