Wednesday, August 19, 2015

On checklists and not being stupid...

From Charlie Munger: The Complete Investor:
A lattice approach is, in effect, a double-check on the investing process. But instead of just two checks, you are checking the result over and over. Munger believes that by going over your decision-making process and carefully using skills, ideas, and models from many disciplines, you can more consistently not be stupid. You will always make some bone-headed mistakes even if you’re careful, but his process is designed to decrease the probability of those mistakes.  
To make sure he is taking advantage of as many models as possible, Munger likes checklists:  
You need a different checklist and different mental models for different companies. I can never make it easy by saying, “Here are three things.” You have to derive it yourself to ingrain it in your head for the rest of your life. 
—Charlie Munger, Berkshire Annual Meeting, 2002