In his own words · Character

“First, be unreliable. Do not faithfully do what you have engaged to do. If you will only master this one habit you will more than counterbalance the combined effect of all your virtues, howsoever great.”

— Charlie Munger · Charlie Munger, Harvard School (Los Angeles) commencement address, "How to Guarantee a Life of Misery," June 13, 1986 (Poor Charlie's Almanack, Talk One) · 1986

Verified. Sourced to Charlie Munger, Harvard School (Los Angeles) commencement address, "How to Guarantee a Life of Misery," June 13, 1986 (Poor Charlie's Almanack, Talk One) · 1986.

The first of his ironic 'how to guarantee misery' prescriptions — the real counsel is the inverse (be reliable).

Where he said it

More Munger on Character

“Three rules for a career: Don't sell anything you wouldn't buy yourself; don't work for anyone you don't respect and admire; and work only with people you enjoy.”

Attributed (David Clark, The Tao of Charlie Munger; popularized by CNBC, 2017) · as recalled

A genuine Munger sentiment; this tidy three-rule phrasing is a compiler's rendering, not a verbatim transcript line.

“I think track records are very important. If you start early trying to have a perfect one in some simple thing like honesty, you're well on your way to success in this world.”

Poor Charlie's Almanack

“It isn't an easy thing to work very hard for many years to build up a significant career, as I had done, and then to destroy that career on purpose.”

Charlie Munger, to Jason Zweig, "A Fireside Chat With Charlie Munger," The Wall Street Journal (September 2014), at the Daily Journal Corp. annual meeting, Los Angeles · 2014

“It's one of the advantages of being very rich: you can behave better than other people.”

Daily Journal Corporation annual meeting, 2018 · 2018 · where he said it ↗

In context, about the freedom independence gives to act with integrity — not a boast.

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