I read a book on finances.
The Psychology of Money, through my 16 y/o lenses
I picked it up expecting a finance book.
I got timeless lessons on other people, ego, time, and planning.
Hello!
I’m Zoli, working on a tech business at 16, documenting my journey. I read The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel, one of the best financial books available.
I summarized the top 5 thoughts that resonated with me the most as a 16 y/o just entering the world of money, economics, and business.
In the next few weeks, I’ll be unable to work. Because of this, I can’t publish about my progression and plans. This is why I decided to share a few shorter stories and lessons I learned in my past that had a big impact on me.
Why did I read the Psychology of Money?
I can confidently say that right now, I’m pretty much clueless about business and money. This is why I take every opportunity to learn, experience, and grow: paid and free courses, social media content, and books as well.
I’m trying to learn the rules of the game early, before money could become a problem, or worse, an obsession.
The top 5 thoughts I learned
Here are the 5 ideas that resonated with me deeply, the ones I’ll remember for a long time, and I’ll implement into my life, my way of thinking, my perspective.
1. We all see money through different lenses.
I experienced this in real life. Many people I know — including my parents — aren’t open to things like starting a business or investing. And it’s not their fault. They grew up in conditions where they simply couldn’t risk it. This taught me not to judge others’ decisions, especially if I don’t know their reasons and perspective.
2. Winning half the time is more than enough.
Most people quit early because they don’t understand how much depends on a few tail events. I was one of these people as well. I quit countless times because I failed one or two times, and I thought it was over.
3. It’s not about being rational. It’s about feeling good on the long term.
I didn’t see why I shouldn’t constantly chase higher numbers with my investments and results later in life. I didn’t see viable options other than “optimizing everything to the maximum and getting the highest ROI from everything“. Now, even before starting in the world of money, I know that following a plan that doesn’t stress you out and make you quit is by far the better mindset.
4. The future won’t look like the past.
History is filled with events that were the first of their kind: wars, new inventions, discoveries, catastrophes, betrayals, and I could keep the list going. These weren’t predictable, and even the biggest masterminds couldn't prepare for them. This is why staying flexible and humble with your goals is key.
5. You’re changing faster and more, than you think.
I fully acknowledge that I changed more in the past 2 years than I could’ve ever imagined. But despite this, I’m somehow unable to accept that I’ll change the same amount in the next years. I feel like my opinions and ideals won’t change, and most people are like this.
What changed?
This single book completely changed how I think about money. I can’t thank my past self enough for deciding to take notes while reading this book, because this way, the ideas I learned will stay with me.
Now I can fully agree with the author: getting wealthy isn’t about a secret formula or optimizing everything. It’s not even about how smart you are. It’s about staying in the game, controlling your behavior, and knowing what enough means for you.
See you next time
I plan on posting every week, even while gone. I won’t be able to share weekly progress logs as before, but I’ll write about my past experiences with businesses, coding, productivity, and much more.
Next week, I’ll share how I could give marketing advice to one of the most prestigious financial/entrepreneurial content creators in my country.
If you read the book, I’d love to hear what stuck with you. If not, make sure to add it to your list and read it (100% worth it).