Napoleon Hill: Cheap Commodities

Meaning of Napoleon Hill Money Quote: saying Opinions are a dime a dozen and represent a cheap commodity. Napoleon Hill said:
 

 

“Opinions are the cheapest commodities on earth. Everyone has a flock of opinions ready to be wished upon anyone who will accept them. If you are influenced by “opinions” when you reach DECISIONS, you will not succeed in any undertaking” — Napoleon Hill

Napoleon Hill is emphasizing the importance of making decisions based on facts rather than opinions alone. He describes opinions as being abundant and easily shared with others, but not necessarily well-informed or reliable.

By stating that if decisions are influenced solely by opinions one “will not succeed in any undertaking”, Hill is advising people to ground their decisions in objective evidence and facts rather than subjective opinions. Opinions can vary widely and be biased, whereas facts are verifiable pieces of information about a situation.

Hill appears to be recommending that in order to achieve success, one needs to make thoughtful, informed decisions based on thorough research and understanding of objective realities, rather than simply accepting other people’s opinions without critical examination. Relying too heavily on opinions without also considering facts could lead one to make misguided decisions not aligned with the actual circumstances.

Birthday: October 26, 1883 – Death: November 8, 1970

Steve Forbes: Weak Oil Dollars

Steve Forbes Money Quote saying any commodity tied to the U.S. dollar tend to fluctuate with the currency. Steve Forbes said:
 

 

“Over time, there’s a very close correlation between what happens to the dollar and what happens to the price of oil. When the dollar gets weak, the price of oil, which, as you know, and other commodities are denominated in dollars, they go up” — Steve Forbes

In this quote, Steve Forbes is pointing out the relationship between the value of the U.S. dollar and the price of oil over time. He notes that oil prices, like other commodities, are denominated and traded using U.S. dollars in international markets. Forbes then explains that when the dollar weakens or declines in value against other currencies, it leads to higher prices for oil and other commodities.

His rationale is that since commodities are priced in dollars, if the dollar’s purchasing power falls, producers will charge more dollars per barrel to maintain the same value. So in essence, the quote is describing how a weaker dollar can contribute to increasing oil prices through the channel of dollar-denominated commodity markets. According to Forbes, there is a close correlation historically where a less valuable dollar corresponds with higher oil price levels.

Karl Marx: Capital Commodities

Karl Marx Money Quote saying Capital assets can include cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities as well as manufacturing equipment or production facilities and grow in value. Karl Marx said:
 

 

“Capital is money, capital is commodities. By virtue of it being valued, it has acquired the occult ability to add value to itself. It brings forth living offspring, or, at the least, lays golden eggs” — Karl Marx

In this quote, Karl Marx is characterizing how capital seems to autonomously generate more capital and wealth through economic activity within a capitalist system. He notes that capital takes the forms of money and commodities that are valued in the market.

Marx then uses the metaphor of capital having an “occult ability” or mysterious power to “add value to itself” and “bring forth living offspring” or yield profits, in the sense that money invested in business ventures and assets can generate returns simply through being put to work in the economy.

The overall interpretation is that Marx is critiquing the notion that capital appears to almost magically or supernaturally reproduce itself and increase in quantity, when in reality this growth stems from the labor and productivity of workers within the capitalist system of private ownership and profit-seeking.

Birthday: May 5, 1818 – Death: March 14, 1883

Warren Buffett: Commodities Bet

Warren Buffett Money Quote saying that commodities require an increase in value over time to be profitable, whereas other investments produce ongoing income. Warren Buffett said:
 

 

“The problem with commodities is that you are betting on what someone else would pay for them in six months. The commodity itself isn’t going to do anything for you… it is an entirely different game to buy a lump of something and hope that somebody else pays you more for that lump two years from now than it is to buy something that you expect to produce income for you over time” — Warren Buffett

In this quote, Warren Buffett is contrasting commodities investments with other types of investments. He is saying that when you invest in commodities, you are speculating or “betting” that the price of that commodity will be higher at some point in the future when you sell it. However, the commodity itself does not produce any income like dividends or interest payments.

You are simply relying on price appreciation. Buffett views this as more risky than investing in a company or asset that will generate regular income or cash flows over time from business operations. He is arguing that investments focused on long-term income are generally better than short-term commodity bets that rely on price fluctuations.

Barry Ritholtz: Asset Commodities

Barry Ritholtz Money Quote saying that it’s safer to be broadly invested in variety of categories as well as in commodities. Barry Ritholtz said:
 

 

“Owning a variety of asset classes means that some part of your portfolio will be doing well when the cyclical turmoil arises. A broadly diversified portfolio includes large-capitalization stocks, small-cap, emerging markets, fixed income, real estate, and commodities” — Barry Ritholtz

In this quote, Barry Ritholtz seems to be emphasizing the benefits of diversifying one’s investment portfolio across different asset classes. By stating that owning “a variety of asset classes” ensures “some part of your portfolio will be doing well when the cyclical turmoil arises”, Ritholtz implies that diversification provides a buffer against downturns by allowing other segments to potentially offset losses.

His additional mention of including stocks, bonds, real estate, commodities and more conveys Ritholtz’s perspective that prudent diversification involves exposure to multiple uncorrelated markets. Overall, the quote portrays Ritholtz’s view that broad diversification minimizes risk and smooths returns by ensuring different sectors rise and fall independently, so declines in some areas can be balanced by gains in others during periods of volatility.

Olawale Daniel: Bitcoin Commodity

Olawale Daniel Money Quote saying cryptocurrency and the technology supporting it are distinct commodities, not portions of one another. Olawale Daniel said:
 

 

“You might think of bitcoin and blockchain as two halves of a whole, but in reality, they are very distinct commodities” — Olawale Daniel

In this quote, Olawale Daniel seems to be distinguishing between bitcoin and blockchain technology. By stating that while they are “two halves of a whole”, they are also “very distinct commodities”, Daniel implies that bitcoin and blockchain are related but not synonymous. Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency that utilizes blockchain, but blockchain has applications beyond just bitcoin.

The quote conveys Daniel’s perspective that while bitcoin helped drive mainstream awareness of blockchain, the technology itself has uses that extend far beyond any single cryptocurrency. Overall, Daniel appears to be arguing that blockchain should be considered independently from bitcoin, as its distributed ledger capabilities have potential applications across industries, not just as the protocol underpinning one digital currency.

Jim Rogers: Stock Price Zero

Jim Rogers Money Quote saying that the value of goods is always assured, but stock prices fluctuate and drop on rumor and speculation. Jim Rogers said:
 

 

“Stock prices can go to zero. Commodities cannot. Unlike shares in a company commodities are real things that are always likely to be worth something to somebody” — Jim Rogers

Jim Rogers is contrasting stocks and commodities as investments. He argues that while stock prices can potentially fall all the way to zero if a company goes bankrupt, commodities like metals, grains and livestock will likely always have some value to someone. Even if demand declines for a particular commodity, it typically won’t lose its entire worth.

Rogers is pointing out that commodities are tangible assets representing real, physical goods, whereas stocks represent ownership in a company that could fail. Therefore, commodities may be less risky investments than stocks since they are unlikely to become completely worthless in the way that shares of a bankrupt company would.

Robert Kiyosaki: Gold & Silver

Robert Kiyosaki Money Quote saying the commodities market is above the fray and have more value than cash. Robert Kiyosaki said:
 

 

“Commodities such as gold and silver have a world market that transcends national borders, politics, religions, and race. A person may not like someone else’s religion, but he’ll accept his gold” — Robert Kiyosaki

In this quote, Robert Kiyosaki seems to be conveying the universal value and fungibility of commodities like gold and silver across diverse populations and circumstances. By stating they have a “world market that transcends national borders, politics, religions, and race”, and that while people may disagree on beliefs, “he’ll accept his gold”, Kiyosaki implies that precious metals maintain stable worth regardless of differences that can divide other aspects of society and commerce.

The quote portrays Kiyosaki’s perspective that gold and silver function as impartial, cross-cultural stores of value precisely because their valuation stems not from subjective affiliations but objective qualities like scarcity and industrial applications. Overall, Kiyosaki appears to be arguing that commodities’ intrinsic properties impart them a global liquidity that bridges social and ideological divides in a way no fiat currency or other assets can due to their apolitical, universal acceptance.