---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Using volatility as a measure of risk is…"
description: "\"Using volatility as a measure of risk is nuts. Risk to us is 1) the risk of permanent loss of capital, or 2) the risk of inadequate return.\" — Charlie ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44c/charlie-munger-458_inadequate_using-volatility-as-a-measure-of-risk-is_1546219.jpg"
---

#  Using volatility as a measure of risk is nuts. Risk to us…

![“Using volatility as a measure of risk is nuts. Risk to us is 1) the risk of permanent loss of capital, or 2) the risk of inadequate return.” quote by Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44c/charlie-munger-458_inadequate_using-volatility-as-a-measure-of-risk-is_1546219.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44c/charlie-munger-458_inadequate_using-volatility-as-a-measure-of-risk-is_1546219.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44c/charlie-munger-458_inadequate_using-volatility-as-a-measure-of-risk-is_1546219.jpg)

> “Using volatility as a measure of risk is nuts. Risk to us is 1) the risk of permanent loss of capital, or 2) the risk of inadequate return.”

[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.

Risk should focus on permanent loss and insufficient returns, not just volatility.

**In simple terms:** Risk is about loss and return, not volatility alone.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize capital preservation and realistic returns.

Themes

finance risk management investment

Mood

analytical pragmatic

Type

advice strategic

When to use this quote

- portfolio construction
- retirement planning
- business strategy
- risk modeling

Key Concepts

value investing risk assessment

Questions to Reflect On

- Do you consider volatility in your risk analysis?
- How do you balance loss risk with return goals?

A Different Perspective

Volatility can still matter for short‑term decisions.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Capital Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capital-risk-5768980/) [Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) [Inadequate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inadequate/) [Loss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loss/) [Measure Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/measure-risk-3844438/) [Nuts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nuts/) [Permanent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/permanent/) [Return](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/return/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) [Using Volatility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/using-volatility-5768979/) [Volatility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/volatility/)

## Related quotes

> [ We regard using \[a stock's\] volatility as a measure of risk is nuts. Risk to us is 1) the risk of permanent loss of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/we-regard-using-a-stock-s-volatility-as-a-measure-of-risk-is-nuts/)

[Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/)

> [A bank needs models to measure risk. The problem, however, is that any one bank can measure its risk, but it also has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myron-scholes/a-bank-needs-models-to-measure-risk-the-problem-however-is-that-any/)

[Myron Scholes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myron-scholes/)

> [“Somehow, when ownership interests are divided into shares that bounce around with Mr. Market’s moods, individuals and professionals start to think about and measure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-greenblatt/somehow-when-ownership-interests-are-divided-into-shares-that-bounce/)

[Joel Greenblatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-greenblatt/)

> [Almost anything worth doing involves some measure of risk - from learning to ride a bike, moving to a new city, and certainly, starting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fabrizio-moreira/almost-anything-worth-doing-involves-some-measure-of-risk-from/)

[Fabrizio Moreira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fabrizio-moreira/)

> [Berkshire's whole record has been achieved without paying one ounce of attention to the efficient market theory in its hard form. And not one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/berkshire-s-whole-record-has-been-achieved-without-paying-one-ounce/)

[Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/)

> [Accounting does not make corporate earnings or balance sheets more volatile. Accounting just increases the transparency of volatility in earnings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-garnick/accounting-does-not-make-corporate-earnings-or-balance-sheets-more/)

[Diane Garnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-garnick/)

> [When a long-term trend loses it’s momentum, short-term volatility tends to rise. It is easy to see why that should be so: the trend-following…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/when-a-long-term-trend-loses-it-s-momentum-short-term-volatility/)

[George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/)

> [There is little room for complacency, and it is important to guard against sporadic volatility in financial markets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/urjit-patel/there-is-little-room-for-complacency-and-it-is-important-to-guard/)

[Urjit Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/urjit-patel/)

> [Asset managers have different approaches, and I don't wish to suggest there is only one way to run money. There are many ways one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/asset-managers-have-different-approaches-and-i-don-t-wish-to-suggest/)

[Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/)

> [I mean, we've always had gold bugs, but now we sort of realize that Treasure Bills might be in the same category. And we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-f-engle/i-mean-we-ve-always-had-gold-bugs-but-now-we-sort-of-realize-that/)

[Robert F. Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-f-engle/)

> [We've seen the volatility at dollar-yen, U.S. Treasurys, JGBs (Japanese government bonds), German bunds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-dimon/we-ve-seen-the-volatility-at-dollar-yen-u-s-treasurys-jgbs-japanese/)

[Jamie Dimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-dimon/)

> [There's only one thing harder than living in a home with an adolescent - and that's being an adolescent. The moodiness, the volatility, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-kluger/there-s-only-one-thing-harder-than-living-in-a-home-with-an/)

[Jeffrey Kluger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-kluger/)

> [If there is a single tragic flaw that mars our biggest enterprises, it is conservatism - the failure to fail, and fail big, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/if-there-is-a-single-tragic-flaw-that-mars-our-biggest-enterprises-it/)

[Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/)

> [Any system that is deprived of its natural volatility, with government up (unintelligible) volatile, any system becomes very fragile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/any-system-that-is-deprived-of-its-natural-volatility-with-government/)

[Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/)

> [Electricity transmission operates on a frequency between 49.7 Hertz and 50.2 Hertz. What I have done is petitioned the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jyotiraditya-madhavrao-scindia/electricity-transmission-operates-on-a-frequency-between-49-7-hertz/)

[Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jyotiraditya-madhavrao-scindia/)

## 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. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/the-great-lesson-in-microeconomics-is-to-discriminate-between-when/)

[Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/)

> [Some years ago one oil company bought a fertilizer company, and every other major oil company practically ran out and bought a fertilizer company.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/some-years-ago-one-oil-company-bought-a-fertilizer-company-and-every/)

[Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/)

> [ They \[Mc Donalds\] take people and give them a first job, which enables them to get a second job. They do a very good… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/they-mc-donalds-take-people-and-give-them-a-first-job-which-enables/)

[Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/)

> [What good is envy? 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 Customer quotes

> [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/)

[Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/)

> [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/)

[Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/)

> [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/)

[Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/)

> [Don't think OF the market. Think AS the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-fishman/don-t-think-of-the-market-think-as-the-market/)

[Michael Fishman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-fishman/)

> [If Wall Street crashes, does Main Street follow? Not necessarily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bernanke/if-wall-street-crashes-does-main-street-follow-not-necessarily/)

[Ben Bernanke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bernanke/)

> [The exact details of how you practice value investing will vary investor to investor, but the fundamental principle of scouring the world, looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-tilson/the-exact-details-of-how-you-practice-value-investing-will-vary/)

[Whitney Tilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-tilson/)

> [The best way to hold customers is to constantly figure out how to give them more for less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-kotler/the-best-way-to-hold-customers-is-to-constantly-figure-out-how-to/)

[Philip Kotler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-kotler/)

> [Perhaps the most important reason to be skeptical of government inflation numbers is that the government, like a fox campaigning to guard a hen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/perhaps-the-most-important-reason-to-be-skeptical-of-government/)

[Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/)

> [When the dollar collapses, it's not doing it in a vacuum. If the dollar loses value, it's doing so relative to some other currency.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/when-the-dollar-collapses-it-s-not-doing-it-in-a-vacuum-if-the-dollar/)

[Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/)

> [Corporations invest in sophisticated CRM, or Customer Relationship Management, programs to effectively oversee their relationship with their customers at every point during the buying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-ostrofsky/corporations-invest-in-sophisticated-crm-or-customer-relationship/)

[Marc Ostrofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-ostrofsky/)

> [I believe confusion is good. Worldwide market leaders gain when there is confusion in the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subhash-chandra/i-believe-confusion-is-good-worldwide-market-leaders-gain-when-there/)

[Subhash Chandra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subhash-chandra/)

> [Damn inflation, full speed ahead,' Greenspan has said in both action and word. I think an investor should believe him and invest accordingly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gross/damn-inflation-full-speed-ahead-greenspan-has-said-in-both-action-and/)

[Bill Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gross/)

> [“When companies get big, they devote most of their care and feeding to the business that got them big. This is as it should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-schmidt/when-companies-get-big-they-devote-most-of-their-care-and-feeding-to/)

[Eric Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-schmidt/)

> [“Salesmanship is usually the art of making it the prospect’s problem, the salesperson’s need or desire to earn money.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/salesmanship-is-usually-the-art-of-making-it-the-prospect-s-problem/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

[Browse all 9,257 Customer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Using volatility as a measure of risk is nuts. Risk to us is 1) the risk of permanent loss of capital, or 2) the risk of inadequate return.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Charlie Munger"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/using-volatility-as-a-measure-of-risk-is-nuts-risk-to-us-is-1-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Customer"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/using-volatility-as-a-measure-of-risk-is-nuts-risk-to-us-is-1-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44c/charlie-munger-458_inadequate_using-volatility-as-a-measure-of-risk-is_1546219.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44c/charlie-munger-458_inadequate_using-volatility-as-a-measure-of-risk-is_1546219.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44c/charlie-munger-458_inadequate_using-volatility-as-a-measure-of-risk-is_1546219.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Using volatility as a measure of risk is nuts. Risk to us is 1) the risk of permanent loss of capital, or 2)…” — 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": "Using volatility as a measure of...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/using-volatility-as-a-measure-of-risk-is-nuts-risk-to-us-is-1-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/using-volatility-as-a-measure-of-risk-is-nuts-risk-to-us-is-1-the/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
