6 Apr 2025
The Courage to Do Nothing
How Buffet's stillness created a 23% advantage in a panicked market
Everyone panicked.
Warren Buffett stood still. The result?
Berkshire is up 12% while the S&P is down 11%.
I have been thinking about stillness over the last few days. The world seems to be spinning faster with every passing day.
In our acceleration-obsessed world:
→ We mistake activity for progress
→ We confuse motion with meaning
→ We celebrate speed over direction
→ We prioritize reaction over reflection
I have been guilty of all of the above.
On the surface, they seem like momentary lapses, but if done repeatedly, they begin to compound.
The cost of spinning too fast:
→ Degraded decision quality as we think less
→ Increased anxiety as we always feel behind
→ Eroded relationships as we lack presence
→ Depleted wisdom as we never reflect
Through his stillness, Buffett sidestepped these costs.
What stillness offers that speed cannot:
→ The ability to see patterns invisible amidst motion
→ The courage to question assumptions
→ The capacity to reconnect with values
→ The resilience of responding rather than reacting
Cultivating this stillness requires courage, the internal self-belief to trust your own voice, especially when the decisions you've made appear incorrect.
As I begin this week, a reminder to myself: stillness isn't passive, it's an intentional choice to align our actions with what truly matters.
Wishing everyone a great week ahead.
