STREET DOGS

From The Wisdom of Great Investors, published by Davis Advisers:

I love the intellectual challenge of investing. I’m also intensely competitive.… That’s not to say I’m particularly fond of those days when you feel like an idiot and your numbers make you look like an idiot. But as a competitive person, I wouldn’t have it any other way. — Ricky Sandler.

The idea of being in an industry where you keep score and know where you stand every day was highly appealing to me and, in the end, seemed inherently fair. — John Rogers.

Trying to find hidden gems just fits my personality. I love the detective aspect of being an investor and uncovering things no one else seems to be seeing. What advantage do I have in being one of the thousands of people analysing every move Apple or Microsoft or Google makes? — Aaron Edelheit.

I love the intellectual challenge of investing — there are always new questions to try to answer. But it’s important to remember that you don’t actually have to answer all the questions you ask yourself. It’s like being able to take a test in school where you can answer any 10 questions of your choice on a 100-question test. You answer only those you know well and ignore those that are very difficult to answer. That’s what investing is all about. — Murray Stahl.

First, I enjoy the process of trying to figure out what’s going on in the world and think investing is about as good as it gets in business in terms of intellectual stimulation. Second, I’m very competitive, but in the positive sense of trying to improve and always measuring how well I’m doing that. The third part — making money — is not required, but conveniently and pleasantly is a result of being good at the first two. — John Burbank.