As a blogger sometimes you come across a post (or posts) that strike you as interesting or important, but you don’t have anything additional to say or add. This week I came across a handful of items that are worth a closer look (on your part). The only thread I can pull together on the following is one of honesty. The best things I read are open and honest about ourselves and the challenges of living in today’s world. On we go…
This post really hit home. The challenge (and opportunity) of being there for someone during a tough time is not talked about enough.
We’re not just here for the good times – Carolyn Gowen
“Perhaps one of the most fulfilling aspects of being a financial planner is sharing the good times with our clients…Sadly, life isn’t all puppies and rainbows.
An important part of our job is being there when things don’t go to plan. When the unexpected, awful event occurs that knocks you for six.”
The issue of skill and luck, and detangling the two is a frequent topic on this site.
“The upshot of all this is that the successful are apt to become bumptious arrogant prats because they attribute their success to their own talents rather than luck. And observers are apt to take them at their inflated self-estimation.”
This story is simply stunning. No one, repeat no one, predicted this outcome at the time.
Madoff victims are close to getting their $19 billion back – Erik Larson and Christopher Cannon
“A decade after Bernard Madoff was arrested for running the world’s biggest Ponzi scheme, the bitter fight to recoup investors’ lost billions has astounded experts and victims alike.”
When working on something else I came across this piece by Peter Bernstein in the New York Times. Like all of his writing it it both excellent and timeless.
What happens if we are wrong? – Peter Bernstein
“Effective risk management starts with the recognition that any forecast can be wrong, then weighs the consequences of being wrong. Only then can we decide whether to make a bet, whether to hedge that bet and how to execute the hedge if needed.”
This struck home. I love how honest Jason is about his work and his opinion thereof.
The explorer and the hermit – Jason Kottke
“But even though I enjoy editing the site and learn about a lot of new things along the way, the work itself sometimes isn’t that challenging. There’s a lot of repetition, sitting in a chair, and willpower — not insignificant things when trying to accomplish something — but it increasingly feels like I’m on autopilot creatively. Has the site gotten better in the last 5 years? I think so. But have I?”
I hope you enjoyed this post. If so I may try and keep doing these ad-hoc roundups.
