Charlie listened. Eventually he asked, “Do you think that I could do something like that out in California?” Warren paused for a moment and looked at him. This was an unconventional question coming from a successful Los Angeles lawyer. “Yeah,” he said, “I’m quite sure you could do it.”
[…]
“Why are you paying so much attention to him?” Nancy asked her husband.
“You don’t understand,” said Charlie. “That is no ordinary human being.”
~The Snowball
Who wouldn’t want Warren Buffett as a friend? Who wouldn’t want to be the ultimate coattail rider as the Charlie Munger of the Berkshire Hathaway-type life story?
While it’s never been clear to me what value Charlie Munger brought to the duo aside from his acerbic wit and getting-high-on-my-own-supply love for See’s Peanut Brittle which undoubtedly boosted sales, it’s fairly obvious what Munger got out of Buffett– encouragement.
And that seems to be all Munger needed to find greatness in himself.
It is actually amazing that this bond was formed and that Buffett was not only willing to share with Munger his secrets but pushed him to try it himself. Why did he do this then? The truth is, it doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters, for Munger anyway, is that Buffett did this.
When I look back at my own history, particularly with regards to my interest in investing, I don’t see any encouraging moments like this. Perhaps I have simply forgotten them, or perhaps they did not occur. I think I had ample opportunity to be encouraged by others and yet I don’t have any recollection of it. As I am currently seeking after my passion in life and searching for what my own greatness might be about, I seem to remember at one time it might have had something to do with being a great investor. Along the way I lost sight of that vision, became discouraged, dejected and doubtful.
This might seem like a good opportunity to blame the various people in my life who might have encouraged me to keep going but did not. That isn’t my point and it isn’t what I believe or am focused on right now. Instead, I notice one more thing about the time that Charlie met Warren. That thing is this:
Charlie asked for what he wanted.
A House Rises 