Top 134 Quotes & Sayings by John Templeton

The idea that an individual can find God is terribly self-centered. It is like a wave thinking it can find the sea.

The correct description is that we try every day to become more humble when we talk about divinity, we try to realize how little we know and how open minded we should be.

A doctor today would never prescribe the treatments my grandfather used in the Confederate Army, but a minister says pretty much the same thing today that a minister would have said back then.

I believe all religions are becoming obsolete, clinging to ancient concepts.

If we become increasingly humble about how little we know, we may be more eager to search.

If you are not egotistical, you will welcome the opportunity to learn more.

I'm really convinced that our descendants a century or two from now will look back at us with the same pity that we have toward the people in the field of science two centuries ago.

Work at being a humble person.

It's self-centered to think that human beings, as limited as we are, can describe divinity.

It is nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.

Three of my children are medical doctors, they know at least a hundred times as much about your body as my grandfather knew, but they don't know much more about soul than he did.

I wouldn't call it radical; I would call it enthusiasm for progress.

Anybody who had come up with a new concept would have been under suspicion for being out of step with the tradition or out of step with the teachings of the church.

The question is not is there a God, but is there anything else except God? God is everyone and each of us is a little bit.

I focus on spiritual wealth now, and I'm busier, more enthusiastic, and more joyful than I have ever been.

I thought, I'm only going to be on this planet once, and only for a short time. What can I do with my life that will lead to permanent benefits?

It is only by understanding the emotion of others that an investor has a chance to produce superior results.

When we have no goal, or when our vision of the goal is obscured, we may lose our sense of purpose. Even when we've prepared ourselves well and have an aptitude for a given activity, poorly directed efforts can rob us of vital energy. We can spend a great deal of our time, money, and other resources running around in circles. Unless we create specific goals that match our purpose in life and unless we keep a clear vision of these goals, we may eventually falter and fail.

For those properly prepared, the bear market is not only a calamity but an opportunity.

The time of maximum pessimism is the best time to buy.

Sell a stock only when you have found a new stock that is a 50% better bargain than the one that you hold.

If you want to have a better performance than the crowd, you must do things differently from the crowd.

Be aware of the words that go into your mind, both conscious and unconscious, because words and ideas can be great tools for your mind to use in coming to appropriate decisions. Remember that a statement spoken in spiritual consciousness can contain great spiritual power. Speaking powerful words of love changes things and outer circumstances as well as consciousness itself.

Share prices fluctuate more than share values.

It is impossible to produce superior performance unless you do something very different.

To get joy, we must give it and to keep joy, we must scatter it.

Everyone has special talents, and it is our duty to find ours and use them well.

The question is not is there a God, but is there anything else except God?

An attitude of gratitude creates blessings.

The only way to experience love is to give it.

Never forget: the secret of creating riches for oneself is to create them for others.

Success is a process of continually seeking answers to new questions.

Life is made up not necessarily of great sacrifices or high-level duties but of little things. The smiles, the kindnesses, the commitments and obligations and responsibilities that are given habitually and lovingly are the blessings that win and preserve the heart and bring comfort to one's self as we as to others. This is the ministry of service performed by every useful life.

Invest at the point of maximum pessimism.

The person who really wants to do something finds a way; the other finds an excuse.

We have a choice. We can live in the past and be miserable and unhappy, or we can pick ourselves up and move ahead in life. When we choose to focus forward, we can find the energy and ability to remove any obstacles that may appear to be hindering our smooth progression. If you take stock of yourself and find you may be spending time frequently reliving unhappy experiences of the past, make the decision to rid yourself of the ties that bind you to a former way of life.

To buy when others are despondently selling and sell when others are greedily buying requires the greatest fortitude and pays the greatest reward.

What happens to us in life is less important; the real question can be whether or not we use the experience to grow.

You must be a fundamentalist to be really successful in the market.

If you're not grateful, you're not rich - no matter how much you have.

Those who spend too much will eventually be owned by those who are thrifty.

The air we breathe is necessary to keep us alive, but we must continually breathe it out so we can breathe fresh air back into our lungs. God gives us his love, which we can keep in action by breathing it out to others, thus making room in our hearts for a fresh supply of love.

Often a successful problem-solver is one who creates a new context in which to view the problem. This can often be done by directing one's attention away from the distracting details of the difficulty. From a detached perspective, we may examine the situation in a new or different light and, after exploring information and options, choose an appropriate course of action.

There is a distinction between failing and being a failure. Few things are learned in life without failing at least once. Did you learn to roller skate without falling a few times? Did you learn to ride a bike without losing your balance? Chances are you didn't. You may have wanted to do those things so intensely that you quickly put unsuccessful attempts behind you and kept trying. Soon you acquired the skill to do the thing you wanted. Even though in the process of learning you may have failed many times, you were not a failure. "Failing" simply became an open door to try again.

If you buy all the stocks selling at or below two times earnings, you will lose money on half of them because instead of making profits they will actually lose money, but you will only lose a dollar or so a share at most. Then others will be mediocre performers. But the remaining big winners will go up and produce fabulous results and also ensure a good overall result.

An attitude of gratitude creates blessings. Help yourself by helping others. You have the most powerful weapons on earth - love and prayer.

True peace is a quality you carry within yourself, regardless of external circumstances.

The person who is willing to say yes to experience is the person who discovers new frontiers.

Happiness comes from spiritual wealth, not material wealth... Happiness comes from giving, not getting. If we try hard to bring happiness to others, we cannot stop it from coming to us also. To get joy, we must give it, and to keep joy, we must scatter it. .

The four most expensive words in the English language are, 'This time it's different.'

Focus on value because most investors focus on outlooks and trends.

The best investment with the least risk and the greatest dividend is giving.

Self-improvement comes mainly from trying to help others.

I never ask if the market is going to go up or down because I don't know, and besides it doesn't matter. I search nation after nation for stocks, asking: 'Where is the one that is lowest-priced in relation to what I believe it's worth?' Forty years of experience have taught me you can make money without ever knowing which way the market is going.

Bull-markets are born on pessimism, grow on skepticism, mature on optimism and die on euphoria.

There will always be bull markets followed by bear markets followed by bull markets

If a business is not ethical, it will fail, perhaps not right away but eventually.

Bull markets are born on pessimism, grown on skepticism, mature on optimism and die on euphoria. The time of maximum pessimism is the best time to buy, and the time of maximum optimism is the best time to sell.

Outperforming the majority of investors requires doing what they are not doing. Buying when others have despaired, and selling when they are full of hope, takes fortitude.

[The main focus in my life now is] to open people's minds so no one will be so conceited that they think they have the total truth. They should be eager to learn, to listen, to research and not to confine, to hurt, to kill, those who disagree with them.