--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's not a competency if you don't know…" description: "\"It's not a competency if you don't know the edge of it.\" — Charlie Munger" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53b/charlie-munger-458_competencies_it-s-not-a-competency-if-you-don-t-know_2359396.jpg" --- # It's not a competency if you don't know the edge of it. ![“It's not a competency if you don't know the edge of it.” quote by Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53b/charlie-munger-458_competencies_it-s-not-a-competency-if-you-don-t-know_2359396.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53b/charlie-munger-458_competencies_it-s-not-a-competency-if-you-don-t-know_2359396.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53b/charlie-munger-458_competencies_it-s-not-a-competency-if-you-don-t-know_2359396.jpg) > “It's not a competency if you don't know the edge of it.” [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A skill isn’t genuine until you understand its limits. **In simple terms:** Know the edge of competence. Key Takeaway Learn boundaries before claiming expertise. Themes competence humility learning Mood cautious thoughtful Type educational pragmatic When to use this quote - career advancement - investment decisions - leadership training - teaching Key Concepts metacognition expertise development Questions to Reflect On - What areas do you overestimate? - How can you test your limits safely? A Different Perspective Over‑confidence can still be useful in some contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Competencies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competencies/) [Competency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competency/) [Competency Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competency-don-5771574/) [Edge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/edge/) [Edges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/edges/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) [Know Edge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-edge-1773363/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) ## Related quotes > [We have to have a special insight, or we'll put it in the 'too tough' basket. All of you have to look for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/we-have-to-have-a-special-insight-or-we-ll-put-it-in-the-too-tough/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [He is not poor who has a competency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/he-is-not-poor-who-has-a-competency/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [Authority does not equal competency. Pass decisions down to those who can best handle them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-stanley/authority-does-not-equal-competency-pass-decisions-down-to-those-who/) [Andy Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-stanley/) > [Trust is a competency. It's something you can get good at. It's a strength you personally, and your team and your company can master.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/trust-is-a-competency-it-s-something-you-can-get-good-at-it-s-a/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [The ability to establish, grow, extend, and restore trust is the key professional and personal competency of our time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/the-ability-to-establish-grow-extend-and-restore-trust-is-the-key/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [What does competency in the long run mean? It means to all reasonable beings, cleanliness of person, decency of dress, courtesy of manners, opportunities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/what-does-competency-in-the-long-run-mean-it-means-to-all-reasonable/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [Authority does not equal competency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-stanley/authority-does-not-equal-competency/) [Andy Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-stanley/) > [Trust is clearly a key competency. 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If you think you know more than you do, you will get in trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/knowing-the-edge-of-your-competency-is-important-if-you-think-you/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [Within the yogic philosophy, the edge is considered to be my creative teacher from whom I can learn about myself. If I approach this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-dychtwald/within-the-yogic-philosophy-the-edge-is-considered-to-be-my-creative/) [Ken Dychtwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-dychtwald/) > [I'm on the edge with you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-gaga/i-m-on-the-edge-with-you/) [Lady Gaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-gaga/) ## More by Charlie Munger > [Almost all good businesses engage in 'pain today, gain tomorrow' activities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/almost-all-good-businesses-engage-in-pain-today-gain-tomorrow/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [If you want good behavior, don't pay on a commission basis. Our judges aren't paid so much a case. We keep them pretty well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/if-you-want-good-behavior-don-t-pay-on-a-commission-basis-our-judges/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [Acquire worldly wisdom and adjust your behavior accordingly. 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It’s the one sin you can’t have any fun at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/what-good-is-envy-it-s-the-one-sin-you-can-t-have-any-fun-at/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [We believe that almost all really good investment records will involve relatively little diversification. The basic idea that it was hard to find good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/we-believe-that-almost-all-really-good-investment-records-will/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [It is way less certain to be a wonderful business in the future. The threat is alternative mediums of information. Every newspaper is scrambling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/it-is-way-less-certain-to-be-a-wonderful-business-in-the-future-the/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [In the corporate world, if you have analysts, due diligence, and no horse sense, you've just described hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/in-the-corporate-world-if-you-have-analysts-due-diligence-and-no/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [We have to have a special insight, or we'll put it in the 'too tough' basket. All of you have to look for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/we-have-to-have-a-special-insight-or-we-ll-put-it-in-the-too-tough/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [I've heard that one-half of the students at elite schools want to go into private equity or hedge funds. They want to keep up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/i-ve-heard-that-one-half-of-the-students-at-elite-schools-want-to-go/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) [Explore all 544 Charlie Munger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) ## More Competencies quotes > [We have to have a special insight, or we'll put it in the 'too tough' basket. All of you have to look for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/we-have-to-have-a-special-insight-or-we-ll-put-it-in-the-too-tough/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [Knowing the edge of your competency is important. If you think you know more than you do, you will get in trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/knowing-the-edge-of-your-competency-is-important-if-you-think-you/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [We should spend less time ranking children and more time helping them to identify their natural competencies and gifts, and cultivate those.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/we-should-spend-less-time-ranking-children-and-more-time-helping-them/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [“LEADERSHIP ABILITIES Some competencies are relevant (though not sufficient) when evaluating senior manager candidates. While each job and organization is different, the best leaders…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/leadership-abilities-some-competencies-are-relevant-though-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When a man is to travel into a far country...one staff in his hand may comfortably support him, but a bundle of staves would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-sibbes/when-a-man-is-to-travel-into-a-far-country-one-staff-in-his-hand-may/) [Richard Sibbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-sibbes/) > [We all have different competencies. Some of us are intellectually gifted, some of us athletically gifted, some of us are great listeners. Everyone has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-bachmann/we-all-have-different-competencies-some-of-us-are-intellectually/) [Michele Bachmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-bachmann/) > [The best medicine that a person can have is the knowledge and experience that he can swim through every tide and change of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh-yogi/the-best-medicine-that-a-person-can-have-is-the-knowledge-and/) [Harbhajan Singh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh-yogi/) > [Recruiting is a core competency for any company. It should never be outsourced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/recruiting-is-a-core-competency-for-any-company-it-should-never-be/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [Delegation requires the willingness to pay for short term failures in order to gain long term competency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-ramsey/delegation-requires-the-willingness-to-pay-for-short-term-failures-in/) [Dave Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-ramsey/) > [Great leaders, the research shows, are made as they gradually acquire, in the course of their lives and careers, the competencies that make them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/great-leaders-the-research-shows-are-made-as-they-gradually-acquire/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [“I started first by building a skills inventory of each team member (learning about competencies) and worked with them individually identifying their strengths and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-r-cohen/i-started-first-by-building-a-skills-inventory-of-each-team-member/) [Allan R. Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-r-cohen/) > [It is up to each voter to evaluate honesty and competency in a factual, therefore fair way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/it-is-up-to-each-voter-to-evaluate-honesty-and-competency-in-a/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [Trust is clearly a key competency. 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