--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The tradition of always looking for the…" description: "\"The tradition of always looking for the answer in the most fundamental way available - that is a great tradition, and it saves a lot of time in this wo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/549/charlie-munger-458_answers_the-tradition-of-always-looking-for-the_1653850.jpg" --- # The tradition of always looking for the answer in the most… ![“The tradition of always looking for the answer in the most fundamental way available - that is a great tradition, and it saves a lot of time in this world.” quote by Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/549/charlie-munger-458_answers_the-tradition-of-always-looking-for-the_1653850.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/549/charlie-munger-458_answers_the-tradition-of-always-looking-for-the_1653850.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/549/charlie-munger-458_answers_the-tradition-of-always-looking-for-the_1653850.jpg) > “The tradition of always looking for the answer in the most fundamental way available - that is a great tradition, and it saves a lot of time in this world.” [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. He values seeking fundamental answers, which streamlines problem‑solving and saves time. **In simple terms:** Look for core causes first. Key Takeaway Prioritize deep understanding. Themes critical thinking efficiency learning Mood analytical pragmatic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - business strategy - personal decisions - research projects Key Concepts systems thinking philosophy of science Questions to Reflect On - When is a surface answer sufficient? - How can you balance depth with speed? A Different Perspective Complex problems may need multiple perspectives, not just fundamentals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Answer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answer/) [Answer Fundamental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answer-fundamental-682917/) [Answers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answers/) [Available](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/available/) [Fundamental Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamental-way-682915/) [Fundamentals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamentals/) [Great Tradition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-tradition-398712/) [This world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/this-world/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Tradition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tradition/) [Tradition Looking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tradition-looking-682919/) [Tradition Saves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tradition-saves-682913/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [What I do for living, working on something called string theory which we think may answer the fundamental question: Are there other universes? Can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/what-i-do-for-living-working-on-something-called-string-theory-which/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [“The heart of strategy is the answer to two fundamental questions: where will you play, and how will you win there?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-g-lafley/the-heart-of-strategy-is-the-answer-to-two-fundamental-questions/) [A.G. Lafley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-g-lafley/) > [If not now, then when? If not you, then who? If we are able to answer these fundamental questions, then perhaps we can wipe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kailash-satyarthi/if-not-now-then-when-if-not-you-then-who-if-we-are-able-to-answer/) [Kailash Satyarthi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kailash-satyarthi/) > [If everything in the universe depends upon everything else in a fundamental way, it might be impossible to get close to a full solution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/if-everything-in-the-universe-depends-upon-everything-else-in-a/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [When we change the single element of mindour fundamental way of thinkingwe transform ourselves and our environment changes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senora-roy/when-we-change-the-single-element-of-mindour-fundamental-way-of/) [Senora Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senora-roy/) > [“In the most fundamental way I have my first glimpse of how the ingredients come together, how each is nothing in particular by itself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanne-ray/in-the-most-fundamental-way-i-have-my-first-glimpse-of-how-the/) [Jeanne Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanne-ray/) > [We must intertwine business and ethics in a very fundamental way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bruner/we-must-intertwine-business-and-ethics-in-a-very-fundamental-way/) [Robert Bruner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bruner/) > [The fundamental way of getting public approval is to deserve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-w-page/the-fundamental-way-of-getting-public-approval-is-to-deserve-it/) [Arthur W. Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-w-page/) > [We have a great tradition of bodybuilding in the United States.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-heath/we-have-a-great-tradition-of-bodybuilding-in-the-united-states/) [Phil Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-heath/) > [I was brought up in the great tradition of the late nineteenth century: that a writer never complains, never explains and never disdains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-michener/i-was-brought-up-in-the-great-tradition-of-the-late-nineteenth/) [James A. Michener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-michener/) > [There is a great tradition of independent filmmaking in the U.S. that I absolutely respect. There's some wonderful stuff that comes out in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/there-is-a-great-tradition-of-independent-filmmaking-in-the-u-s-that/) [Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) > [One of the proudest things I see is, now, 25 years after I graduated, when I go to a Syracuse sporting event, there's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tirico/one-of-the-proudest-things-i-see-is-now-25-years-after-i-graduated/) [Mike Tirico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tirico/) > [It's a fun day, a day which kicks off the start of our tour, it's got great tradition - Australian cricketers just love tradition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-hayden/it-s-a-fun-day-a-day-which-kicks-off-the-start-of-our-tour-it-s-got/) [Matthew Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-hayden/) > [Disney has a great tradition of enchanting children and giving them something to behold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-cage/disney-has-a-great-tradition-of-enchanting-children-and-giving-them/) [Nicolas Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-cage/) > [I want to take the great tradition of the orchestra within me, to take what the orchestra offers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andris-nelsons/i-want-to-take-the-great-tradition-of-the-orchestra-within-me-to-take/) [Andris Nelsons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andris-nelsons/) ## 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. If your new behavior gives you a little temporary unpopularity with your peer group then to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/acquire-worldly-wisdom-and-adjust-your-behavior-accordingly-if-your/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [I think time and time again, in reality, psychological notions and economic notions interplay, and the man who doesn't understand both is a damned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/i-think-time-and-time-again-in-reality-psychological-notions-and/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [I have what I call an iron prescription that helps me keep sane when I naturally drift toward preferring one ideology over another and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/i-have-what-i-call-an-iron-prescription-that-helps-me-keep-sane-when/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [The tax code gives you an enormous advantage if you can find some things you can just sit with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/the-tax-code-gives-you-an-enormous-advantage-if-you-can-find-some/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [The great lesson in microeconomics is to discriminate between when technology is going to help you and when it's going to kill you. 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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 Answer quotes > [Sometimes a question can hurt more than an answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/sometimes-a-question-can-hurt-more-than-an-answer/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [What you are is a question only you can answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/what-you-are-is-a-question-only-you-can-answer/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [Enjoying life isn't about finding the answers, but living the questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-margolis/enjoying-life-isn-t-about-finding-the-answers-but-living-the-questions/) [Sue Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-margolis/) > [The boldness of asking deep questions may require unforeseen flexibility if we are to accept the answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-greene/the-boldness-of-asking-deep-questions-may-require-unforeseen/) [Brian Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-greene/) > [“And if you can’t say yes, answer anyway. Because I’d rather live with the answer than die with the question.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-ellis/and-if-you-can-t-say-yes-answer-anyway-because-i-d-rather-live-with/) [Jon Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-ellis/) > [“There is a cure and answer to everything, we just haven't found them yet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-halimi/there-is-a-cure-and-answer-to-everything-we-just-haven-t-found-them/) [Eve Halimi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-halimi/) > [Whenever I'm asked about Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, I always answer: 'Neymar is the best,' not just because of his goals but because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-carlos/whenever-i-m-asked-about-cristiano-ronaldo-or-lionel-messi-i-always/) [Roberto Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-carlos/) > [A wiki works best where you're trying to answer a question that you can't easily pose, where there's not a natural structure that's known…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ward-cunningham/a-wiki-works-best-where-you-re-trying-to-answer-a-question-that-you/) [Ward Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ward-cunningham/) > [“Those are good questions. I recognize good questions, because I can come up with them myself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-brust/those-are-good-questions-i-recognize-good-questions-because-i-can/) [Steven Brust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-brust/) > [My answer is bring 'em on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/my-answer-is-bring-em-on/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I'll answer anything... I'm brutally honest, actually, which gets me in trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-mclachlan/i-ll-answer-anything-i-m-brutally-honest-actually-which-gets-me-in/) [Sarah McLachlan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-mclachlan/) > [“...I guess I can put two and two together." 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But I'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paddy-mcguinness/i-play-along-myself-even-though-i-can-t-help-the-player-so-i-can-t/) [Paddy McGuinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paddy-mcguinness/) > [Sometimes the question is complicated, but the answers are simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-suess/sometimes-the-question-is-complicated-but-the-answers-are-simple/) [Dr Suess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-suess/) [Browse all 2,090 Answer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answer/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The tradition of always looking for the answer in the most fundamental way available - that is a great tradition, and it saves a lot of time in this world.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charlie Munger" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/the-tradition-of-always-looking-for-the-answer-in-the-most/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Answer" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/the-tradition-of-always-looking-for-the-answer-in-the-most/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/549/charlie-munger-458_answers_the-tradition-of-always-looking-for-the_1653850.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/549/charlie-munger-458_answers_the-tradition-of-always-looking-for-the_1653850.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/549/charlie-munger-458_answers_the-tradition-of-always-looking-for-the_1653850.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The tradition of always looking for the answer in the most fundamental way available - that is a great…” — Charlie Munger", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Charlie Munger", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The tradition of always looking for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/the-tradition-of-always-looking-for-the-answer-in-the-most/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/the-tradition-of-always-looking-for-the-answer-in-the-most/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```