| There are several universal principles affecting our | | | | Torah. By asking friends familiar with other religions, I |
| everyday life, many of which we learned early in life | | | | learned the same Ten Commandments are found in |
| and take for granted, or even forgot. The laws of | | | | the Koran. In Buddhism a very similar list of ten actions |
| physics are a good example. We had to learn them | | | | lead to bad karma. This awareness gave me a far |
| while in high school and even memorize them, at least | | | | stronger conviction that these are indeed universal |
| long enough to pass the exams. By the time summer | | | | principles. |
| vacation rolled around most students assumed they | | | | Knowing the list of Ten Commandments is like |
| would never need them again. Unfortunately, some of | | | | knowing the golden rule - necessary but not sufficient. I |
| those youths ignored these laws of physics, and the | | | | had the opportunity to hear a series of 10 sermons on |
| results were fatal. Recall that centripetal force needs | | | | the Commandments, which really raised my |
| to be equal to centrifugal force to keep an object | | | | awareness of how important and profound these |
| from going in a straight line. That curve the young | | | | principles really are. We certainly all know from the |
| drivers rounded, at a few miles per hour faster than | | | | Eighth Commandment that we should not steal. Yet a |
| the banked road was designed for, and they never | | | | very high percentage of people take supplies from |
| lived to appreciate how deadly the lack of centripetal | | | | their work place, never even thinking that this is |
| force could be. | | | | stealing. After all they worked during 15 minutes of their |
| Fortunately, violating most of the universal principles we | | | | lunch break today, so a pack of staples is hardly worth |
| learn do not have life and death consequence. These | | | | as much as the time they gave the company. In reality, |
| principles do however affect the quality of our lives | | | | knowing the list of 10 Commandments is merely a |
| and our relationships. We all learned the golden rule: do | | | | starting point. The harder part is fully understanding |
| unto others as you wish others would do unto you. | | | | them and following them daily. As I often say - the 10 |
| Much later in life I learned an even better rule - the | | | | Commandments are simple, but not easy to follow |
| platinum rule: treat others as they would like to be | | | | regularly. |
| treated. The platinum made me realize that I needed to | | | | Are there similar universal principles that apply to |
| keep learning my entire life. The lessons we learned in | | | | investing? There certainly are. They are the 10 |
| school were necessary, but not sufficient to guide us | | | | Commandments of Investing. Unfortunately, just like the |
| our entire life. | | | | life principles, merely having a list of these 10 |
| The Ten Commandments are probably the best | | | | Commandments will not increase the value of your |
| known life principles. While growing up, I assumed they | | | | portfolio or make you wealthy. The key is to truly |
| were Christian principles. I later realized that as part of | | | | understand them and put them to use during each key |
| the Old Testament of the Bible, they are shared by | | | | investment decision. |
| the Jewish faith who refer to this book as as the | | | | |