I mean, you know, you're not going to change the human animal. And the human animal really doesn't get a lot smarter.
Warren BuffettI've seen more people fail because of liquor and leverage -- leverage being borrowed money. You really don't need leverage in this world much. If you're smart, you're going to make a lot of money without borrowing.
Warren BuffettKnowing the edge of your competency is important. If you think you know more than you do, you will get in trouble.
Warren BuffettAnd people really behaved in a fraudulent way or something, we'll go back and find the culprits later on. But that really isn't the problem we have. I mean that's where it came from, though. We leveraged up and if you have a 20 percent fall in value of a $20 trillion asset, that's $4 trillion. And when $4 trillion lands - losses land in the wrong part of this economy, it can gum up the whole place.
Warren Buffett