I just finished John C. Bogle‘s book Enough: True Mesures of Money, Business, and Life, a wonderful novella (very readable) reminding us about what’s important in life. Fortune magazine had once named Mr. Bogle as one of the four “Investment Giants” of 20th century. Time had named Mr. Bogle as one of the Top 100 most powerful and influential people in the world. In his latest book, yet, Mr. Bogle writes with much humility and humanity.
Having made a fortune (though not in the billionaire club due to his own styles and the model of his business) from pioneering the first index fund with Vanguard, the company he founded in 1974. Mr. Bogle, an octogenarian, reflects on his life and career and offers many profound yet simple pointers for students of finance such as myself. Broadly speaking, Jack Bogle has a vision to return the finance industry back to one of stewardship, away from the salesmanship that prevails in today’s financial world. What resonated with me so much is his vision for regular people to be true investors – thus owners, not mere speculators, in low-cost, low-turnout index funds, that generate lasting wealth, rather than proactively managed funds that are costly and are questionable in serving shareholders’ interests. Ultimately, he wants to return values and character to the business world and society at large, in particular, professional ethics to all professions, to a degree in which success will no longer be measured by things – or merely wealth, fame, and power – but rather who we are as human beings and what value we create for our society.
As a Finance student, fumbling and tripping over myself in ardent pursuit of a viable post-grad financial career, the next step, I garnered much needed advice and encouragement from this book, especially from someone in my field who had done exceedingly well by all standards. Mr. Bogle’s call for us to not chase the false rabbits of success,a ringing caveat:
“For while our best and brightest are exquisitely trained to pursue the false rabbits of success, on the whole they are being poorly trained in the intangible qualities that become the virtues that bring real success”
Competition is good and has shown to be good, but what are we competing for? THAT is a profund question.
Last advice that I earmarked from this book: Be Bold, Commit, then Providence will follow
“Are you in earnest? Seize this very minute; What you can do, or dream you can do, begin it; Boldness has genius, power and magic in it”
(Bogle cites 19th-century German philosopher Goethe)
Lastly, I’ll leave you with Bogle’s brilliant epiphany captured by T.S. Eliot regarding what counts in life in this Era of Information that we live in, when we are inundated with data and facts; all the while we lack judgment and perhaps critical thinking:
Where is the Life we have lost in living?
Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?
The cycles of Heaven in twenty centuries
Bring us farther from God and nearer to the Dust
Let this be clarion call for some serious soul-searching and reflection for us all.
Time Out 