The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Last night I watched The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The movie sparked a lot of thought. If you watch it, and discuss the movie with someone close to you, it’s likely you both will get something different from the movie. It’s likely that you both will get more than one thing from the movie.

I’ll share a few thoughts of mine through Benjamin’s quotes. When I first heard the quotes, I didn’t immediately think about investing (to the delight of those close to me); it wasn’t until after the movie that I thought about the relationship between the movie and investing.

Take a look at a few of these quotes from the movie.

“You can be as mad as a mad dog at the way things went, you can curse the fates, but when it comes to the end, you have to let go.” I don’t think Benjamin was referring to the recent bear market, but, hey, we have to let it go. We can't go back and sell out in September of 2007 or buy in March 2009.

“Life can only be understood looking backward. It must be lived forward.” This quote reminded me of rearview mirror investing. So many investors -- including advisors and asset managers -- look at the past when trying to determine the future. I still believe in diversification and the long-term viability of the global economy, but we shouldn’t be fooled by past returns.

“We are defined by opportunities, even the ones we miss.” We can relate this quote to so many issues in life. Does anyone have an idea of what popped in my mind when it comes to investing? Leave a comment if you wish.