"Experience taught me a few things. One is to listen to your gut, no matter how good something sounds on paper. The second is that you're generally better off sticking with what you know. And the third is that sometimes your best investments are the ones you don't make"
About this Quote
The second line, "sticking with what you know", narrows the myth further. It sells prudence, but it also normalizes staying inside familiar lanes - relationships, industries, methods - where leverage and reputation already exist. Thats less a moral principle than a strategy for maintaining advantage. Taken with the first lesson, it implies a worldview where the smartest move is protecting your territory, not exploring new ones.
Then comes the neatest twist: "your best investments are the ones you don't make". Its a paradox that lets Trump sound disciplined without admitting fear or failure. If a deal goes south, non-participation can be reframed as mastery. The subtext is reputational insulation: the real currency is not profit alone, but the appearance of never being trapped.
Context matters because the quote emerges from a self-help-capitalism tradition where business advice is also self-mythology. It isnt just guidance; its a justification engine for instincts, boundaries, and selective memory.
Quote Details
| Topic | Investment |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Trump, Donald. (2026, January 17). Experience taught me a few things. One is to listen to your gut, no matter how good something sounds on paper. The second is that you're generally better off sticking with what you know. And the third is that sometimes your best investments are the ones you don't make. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/experience-taught-me-a-few-things-one-is-to-30842/
Chicago Style
Trump, Donald. "Experience taught me a few things. One is to listen to your gut, no matter how good something sounds on paper. The second is that you're generally better off sticking with what you know. And the third is that sometimes your best investments are the ones you don't make." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/experience-taught-me-a-few-things-one-is-to-30842/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Experience taught me a few things. One is to listen to your gut, no matter how good something sounds on paper. The second is that you're generally better off sticking with what you know. And the third is that sometimes your best investments are the ones you don't make." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/experience-taught-me-a-few-things-one-is-to-30842/. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.




