James Altucher Quotes

“40% of people who graduate college never read a book again. If you are in the remaining 60% you are 1000× ahead of everyone else.”

“Action leaks the panic out of your head.”

“Always assume you are the least intelligent person in the room. Always. Do this in every room, at every dinner, in every situation.”

“Always take the job, pursue the life, and have the friends that allow you to have as much freedom as possible. I asked Nassim Taleb on my podcast what job should one have. He said, night watchman, because nobody is around to bother you and you can pursue all your dreams on the side.”

“At any point in your career, you are either a thermostat or a thermometer. You either define the temperature of the people around you and help them achieve their goals and dreams, or you simply do as you’re told and be a follower and never inspire.”

“Everything that happens in your future is a direct result of what you do today.”

“Everything you learn in school can be outsourced to someone who learned it more cheaply or learned it more recently.”

“Get good at three, four, or five things. Then find the intersection. Then become the best in the world at the intersection. That’s how you can pretend to do your special purpose.”

“Goals are a myth. Our ancestors for 200,000 years didn’t have goals. Every day started from scratch: hunt, forage, eat, sex, sleep, and wake up to a new day. Then we were told to find our 'goals'.”

“I have never met a mentally strong person who wasn’t a voracious reader.”

“If a company is buying lots of smaller companies, they need a vision that explains why bigger is better.”

“If you don’t give yourself permission to create a new world, chances are nobody else will.”

“In the 1890’s horses, carrying people to work, dropped 4.5 million tons of manure on the streets of Manhattan, every year. That was the big environmental problem of the day. "NYC will be buried in horse manure by 1950!" screamed the headlines. It doesn’t matter what your opinion about this was. None of the people living in NY solved the problem despite the 1000s of opinions. People with passion for mechanics in Detroit made something called a car. Problem solved.”

“Just being an entrepreneur, without having multiple sources of income, without first taking care of the risks, is suicide. ”

“Leadership is not about achieving your dream. It’s about helping everyone else achieve their dreams.”

“Live life like it’s the last day for everyone else.”

“Nothing ever works out when you are at the whims of others. It doesn’t matter if you are an entrepreneur or an employee. Once someone is bribing you to do something (a salary is a form of bribery if you are only doing the work for the money and not for the meaning) then you become a prisoner.”

“People will not remember what you said, they will remember how you made them feel, if you consciously cultivate humility and learn from everyone you meet, they will remember you.”

“The 5 × 5 Rule

- You’re the average of the 5 people you spend time with.
- You’re the average of the 5 thoughts you most have.
- You’re the average of the 5 types of food you eat.
- You’re the average of the 5 things you are most grateful for.
- You are the average of the 5 things you are reading today.”

“The more grateful you are, the more you attract things to be grateful for.”

“The only thing you have control over is your mindset, your habits, and the choices you make internally about how you’re going to deal with a situation.”

“The only way to learn new things is to ask questions and be curious. Find the people who inspire your curiosity because those are the ones you will most learn from.”

“There’s the story of the two men who visit a Zen master. The first man says: “I’m thinking of moving to this town. What’s it like?” The Zen master says: “What was your old town like?” The first man says: “It was dreadful. Everyone was hateful. I hated it.” The Zen master says: “This town is very much the same. I don’t think you should move here.” The first man left and a second man came in.

The second man said: “I’m thinking of moving to this town. What’s it like?” The Zen master said: “What was your old town like?” The second man said: “It was wonderful. Everyone was friendly and I was happy. Just interested in a change now.” The Zen master said: “This town is very much the same. I think you will like it here.”

“Ultimately we are the sum of our experiences and not the sum of our belongings.”

“What happens when you stop gossiping? You have more time (gossiping consumes a lot of time). You have more friends. You have no risk of insulting the people who you otherwise would have insulted. And you gradually move ahead in the ranks of everyone who succumbed the shortcomings of gossip.”

“You are the alchemist of your life.”

“You are the average of the 5 things you are reading today.”

“You can’t outsource your ability to build and deepen relationships. You can’t outsource 'you'.”