You know, “The stock investor’s curse is to get what he wishes for” is one of those lines that seems counterintuitive until you’ve lived it. It perfectly captures the dangerous moment when a hot stock you bought actually takes off, tempting you to abandon all discipline. Let me tell you, I’ve seen this play out so many times.
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Meaning
The core message is that achieving a quick, massive win in the stock market is often the worst thing that can happen to an investor’s long-term strategy.
Explanation
Let me break it down. When you get that explosive, lottery-ticket gain you were secretly hoping for, it rewires your brain. Suddenly, you think you’re a genius. You start chasing that same high, taking on more and more risk, convinced you’ve cracked the code. The “curse” is that this initial success lays the groundwork for catastrophic future losses because it makes you forget the boring, fundamental rule of investing: preservation of capital. It’s a siren song that leads you away from the shore of sensible investing and into the rocky waters of pure speculation.
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Category | Emotion (177) |
| Topics | expectation (16), psychology (15) |
| Literary Style | cautionary (2), witty (99) |
| Emotion / Mood | humorous (34) |
| Overall Quote Score | 72 (65) |
Origin & Factcheck
This gem comes straight from Benjamin Graham’s 1949 classic, “The Intelligent Investor,” which was first published in the United States. You sometimes see it misattributed to Warren Buffett, but that’s only because Buffett was Graham’s most famous student and frequently echoes his mentor’s wisdom.
Attribution Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Author | Benjamin Graham (48) |
| Source Type | Book (4032) |
| Source/Book Name | The Intelligent Investor (48) |
| Origin Timeperiod | Modern (530) |
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Authenticity | Verified (4032) |
Author Bio
Benjamin Graham, well known for investing community has brought investing to masses by focussing on analysis and risk control. After graduating from Columbia University, co-founded the Graham Newman Corporation. Benjamin Graham book list covers Security Analysis and The Intelligent Investor which shaped many generations of professionals. He is regarded as a mentor to Warren Buffett as his ideas form the basis of value investing.
Where is this quotation located?
| Quotation | The stock investor’s curse is to get what he wishes for |
| Book Details | Publication Year/Date: 1949; ISBN/Unique Identifier: 978-0060555665; Last edition: Revised Edition by Jason Zweig (2006), 640 pages. |
| Where is it? | Chapter 8, Approximate page 202 from 2006 edition |