YAPSSCollection: Charlie Munger - #66 'Tip For Better Sleep'
[Transcript]
AUDIENCE MEMBER 00:08
I was happy to see you at this meeting turned 90, now you’re 95. And I hope you –
CHARLIE MUNGER 00:12
You think you’re happy, think of the way I feel. (Laughter & Applause)
AUDIENCE MEMBER 00:22
Well I hope you live to be 120 and I always thank you for your positive influence on our lives. My question is related to stress and sleep and longevity. In business, there are what I call ‘criminal competitors’.
You’re honest and ethical but the competitor across the street is beating you by cheating and running a massive insurance fraud. Business and life can cause a lot of stress like you did point details in – but you’ve always seemed to stay cool. Stay cool like Mohnish Pabrai.
What mental tools do you use to de-focus and keep your equanimity for ninety-five years? How do you detach? And even during the Salomon Brothers scandal were you always able to get eight hours of sleep at night?
CHARLIE MUNGER 01:04
Well that is not true. As a matter of fact, I had more difficulty sleeping when I was young, but I do have a tip that I’ve learned late in life.
I never consciously blanked out my mind when I tried to go to sleep, so I allowed my mind to wrestle through my problems and keep me awake very very late while I lay in bed wrestling with problems. And then if I didn’t sleep well one night I figured, “What the hell I’ll sleep the next night.” But that was pretty stupid.
But now I actually deliberately blank out my mind I can go to sleep rather easily and I recommend it to all of you. It really works. I don’t know why the hell I didn’t get to it before 93. (Laughter)
(Source: https://youtu.be/X1Oi3esiry8)
[YAPSS Takeaway]
"I actually deliberately blank out my mind I can go to sleep rather easily and I recommend it to all of you." ~Charlie Munger.