---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you spend your energies looking for…"
description: "\"If you spend your energies looking for and analysing situations not closely followed by other informed investors, your chance of finding bargains great..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1b/joel-greenblatt-21588_analysing_if-you-spend-your-energies-looking-for-a_1876620.png"
---

#  If you spend your energies looking for and analysing…

![“If you spend your energies looking for and analysing situations not closely followed by other informed investors, your chance of finding bargains greatly increases.” quote by Joel Greenblatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1b/joel-greenblatt-21588_analysing_if-you-spend-your-energies-looking-for-a_1876620.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1b/joel-greenblatt-21588_analysing_if-you-spend-your-energies-looking-for-a_1876620.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1b/joel-greenblatt-21588_analysing_if-you-spend-your-energies-looking-for-a_1876620.png)

> “If you spend your energies looking for and analysing situations not closely followed by other informed investors, your chance of finding bargains greatly increases.”

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

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Finding undervalued stocks requires focusing on niche opportunities missed by most investors.

**In simple terms:** Look where others don’t.

Key Takeaway

Seek overlooked opportunities.

Themes

investment analysis value investing

Mood

analytical strategic

Type

financial advisory

When to use this quote

- stock picking
- portfolio construction
- risk management

Key Concepts

Market inefficiencies information asymmetry

Questions to Reflect On

- What niche data can you uncover?
- How to balance focus with diversification?

A Different Perspective

May overlook macro risks if too narrow.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Analysing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/analysing/) [Bargains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bargains/) [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) [Energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy/) [Investing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investing/) [Investors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investors/) [Negotiation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/negotiation/)

## Related quotes

> [You can give them another chance or move on and give yourself a better chance of finding someone better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-give-them-another-chance-or-move-on-and-give-yourself-a/)

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

> [Keeping records enhances the pleasure of the search and the chance of finding order and meaning in these events.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldo-leopold/keeping-records-enhances-the-pleasure-of-the-search-and-the-chance-of/)

[Aldo Leopold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldo-leopold/)

> [“When you keep searching for ways to change your situation for the better, you stand a chance of finding them. When you stop searching,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/when-you-keep-searching-for-ways-to-change-your-situation-for-the/)

[Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/)

> [Fellas, it's all a numbers game. The more women you meet, the greater chance you have of finding the right one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-vincent/fellas-it-s-all-a-numbers-game-the-more-women-you-meet-the-greater/)

[Frank Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-vincent/)

> [At first the analysing physician could do no more than discover the unconscious material that was concealed from the patient, put it together, and,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/at-first-the-analysing-physician-could-do-no-more-than-discover-the/)

[Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/)

> [I am always analysing myself; I am always critical of myself and always trying to improve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raheem-sterling/i-am-always-analysing-myself-i-am-always-critical-of-myself-and/)

[Raheem Sterling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raheem-sterling/)

> [Part of my preparation for the World Champion match against Kasparov was to be ready for his off-board tactics. I did not to react…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-kramnik/part-of-my-preparation-for-the-world-champion-match-against-kasparov/)

[Vladimir Kramnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-kramnik/)

> [Analysing comedy is like dissecting a frog. Nobody laughs and the frog dies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-cryer/analysing-comedy-is-like-dissecting-a-frog-nobody-laughs-and-the-frog/)

[Barry Cryer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-cryer/)

> [“The past is not a place I like to visit. This project is forcing me to go there, to tidy up my thoughts. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bono/the-past-is-not-a-place-i-like-to-visit-this-project-is-forcing-me-to/)

[Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bono/)

> [Big Data is like teenage sex: everyone talks about it, nobody really knows how to do it, everyone thinks everyone else is doing it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/big-data-is-like-teenage-sex-everyone-talks-about-it-nobody-really/)

[Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/)

> [“I have a room, which is in my brain, and it's very, very, very... untidy! There is stuff fallen everywhere. There are some very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bono/i-have-a-room-which-is-in-my-brain-and-it-s-very-very-very-untidy/)

[Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bono/)

> [It's easy to start over-thinking things and over-analysing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-murray/it-s-easy-to-start-over-thinking-things-and-over-analysing-things/)

[Andy Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-murray/)

> [We hear all around us about practical religion, and analysing all that, we find that it can be brought down to one conception -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/we-hear-all-around-us-about-practical-religion-and-analysing-all-that/)

[Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/)

> [In analysing complicated variations one must examine each branch of the tree once and once only.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-kotov/in-analysing-complicated-variations-one-must-examine-each-branch-of/)

[Alexander Kotov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-kotov/)

> [What I imagined doesn't require anti-gravity beams or anything too spectacular, just advances in analysing different genes, finding out what they can do and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-trigell/what-i-imagined-doesn-t-require-anti-gravity-beams-or-anything-too/)

[Jonathan Trigell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-trigell/)

## More by Joel Greenblatt

> [Figure out what something is worth and pay a lot less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-greenblatt/figure-out-what-something-is-worth-and-pay-a-lot-less/)

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

> [We are busy surviving, herding, fixating on what just happened, and being overconfident!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-greenblatt/we-are-busy-surviving-herding-fixating-on-what-just-happened-and/)

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

> [ There's a clarity that comes with great ideas: You can \[easily and simply\] explain why something's a great business, how and why it's cheap,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-greenblatt/there-s-a-clarity-that-comes-with-great-ideas-you-can-easily-and/)

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

> [The secret to investing is to figure out the value of something - and then pay a lot less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-greenblatt/the-secret-to-investing-is-to-figure-out-the-value-of-something-and/)

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

> [Remember, it’s the quality of your ideas not the quantity that will result in the big money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-greenblatt/remember-it-s-the-quality-of-your-ideas-not-the-quantity-that-will/)

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

> [“Perhaps, since the measurement of potential gain and loss from a particular stock is so subjective, it is easier, if you are a professional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-greenblatt/perhaps-since-the-measurement-of-potential-gain-and-loss-from-a/)

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

> [Here is part of the tradeoff with diversification. You must be diversified enough to survive bad times or bad luck so that skill and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-greenblatt/here-is-part-of-the-tradeoff-with-diversification-you-must-be/)

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

> [It just seems logical that sticking to investing in only a small number of companies that you understand well, rather than moving down the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-greenblatt/it-just-seems-logical-that-sticking-to-investing-in-only-a-small/)

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

> [I wait until an investment idea is so good, it hits me over the head like an anvil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-greenblatt/i-wait-until-an-investment-idea-is-so-good-it-hits-me-over-the-head/)

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

> [“When thinking about risk, rather than making things unnecessarily complicated, there are really two main things you should want to know about an investment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-greenblatt/when-thinking-about-risk-rather-than-making-things-unnecessarily/)

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

> [“Graham figured that always using the margin of safety principle when deciding whether to purchase shares of a business from a crazy partner like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-greenblatt/graham-figured-that-always-using-the-margin-of-safety-principle-when/)

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

> [I think the exercise of trying to figure out how to simplify concepts has been incredibly helpful to me over the last 13 years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-greenblatt/i-think-the-exercise-of-trying-to-figure-out-how-to-simplify-concepts/)

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

> [Choosing individual stocks without any idea of what you're looking for is like running through a dynamite factory with a burning match. You may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-greenblatt/choosing-individual-stocks-without-any-idea-of-what-you-re-looking/)

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

> [I still believe that for good business analysts a concentrated portfolio is a good strategy combined with a long term horizon. Once again, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-greenblatt/i-still-believe-that-for-good-business-analysts-a-concentrated/)

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

> [“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/)

[Explore all 29 Joel Greenblatt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-greenblatt/)

## More Analysing quotes

> [What I imagined doesn't require anti-gravity beams or anything too spectacular, just advances in analysing different genes, finding out what they can do and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-trigell/what-i-imagined-doesn-t-require-anti-gravity-beams-or-anything-too/)

[Jonathan Trigell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-trigell/)

> [In analysing complicated variations one must examine each branch of the tree once and once only.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-kotov/in-analysing-complicated-variations-one-must-examine-each-branch-of/)

[Alexander Kotov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-kotov/)

> [We hear all around us about practical religion, and analysing all that, we find that it can be brought down to one conception -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/we-hear-all-around-us-about-practical-religion-and-analysing-all-that/)

[Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/)

> [It's easy to start over-thinking things and over-analysing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-murray/it-s-easy-to-start-over-thinking-things-and-over-analysing-things/)

[Andy Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-murray/)

> [“I have a room, which is in my brain, and it's very, very, very... untidy! There is stuff fallen everywhere. There are some very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bono/i-have-a-room-which-is-in-my-brain-and-it-s-very-very-very-untidy/)

[Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bono/)

> [Big Data is like teenage sex: everyone talks about it, nobody really knows how to do it, everyone thinks everyone else is doing it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/big-data-is-like-teenage-sex-everyone-talks-about-it-nobody-really/)

[Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/)

> [“The past is not a place I like to visit. This project is forcing me to go there, to tidy up my thoughts. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bono/the-past-is-not-a-place-i-like-to-visit-this-project-is-forcing-me-to/)

[Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bono/)

> [Analysing comedy is like dissecting a frog. Nobody laughs and the frog dies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-cryer/analysing-comedy-is-like-dissecting-a-frog-nobody-laughs-and-the-frog/)

[Barry Cryer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-cryer/)

> [Part of my preparation for the World Champion match against Kasparov was to be ready for his off-board tactics. I did not to react…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-kramnik/part-of-my-preparation-for-the-world-champion-match-against-kasparov/)

[Vladimir Kramnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-kramnik/)

> [I am always analysing myself; I am always critical of myself and always trying to improve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raheem-sterling/i-am-always-analysing-myself-i-am-always-critical-of-myself-and/)

[Raheem Sterling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raheem-sterling/)

> [At first the analysing physician could do no more than discover the unconscious material that was concealed from the patient, put it together, and,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/at-first-the-analysing-physician-could-do-no-more-than-discover-the/)

[Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/)

> [Music acts on the whole of the organism like a magic force which suppresses the understanding and irresistibly takes possession of the entire being.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-jaques-dalcroze/music-acts-on-the-whole-of-the-organism-like-a-magic-force-which/)

Emile Jaques-Dalcroze

> [As Olafsson showed me, White can win... It's hard to believe. I stayed up all night analysing, finally convicing myself, and, incidentally, learning a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-fischer/as-olafsson-showed-me-white-can-win-it-s-hard-to-believe-i-stayed-up/)

[Bobby Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-fischer/)

> [It's surprising how many people get bogged down in analysing, planning, and organizing when what they really need to do is take action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-canfield/it-s-surprising-how-many-people-get-bogged-down-in-analysing-planning/)

[Jack Canfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-canfield/)

> [“Pretend to give consent to the advice of others, but if you find it suitable,take it. But if out of the right view, despise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/pretend-to-give-consent-to-the-advice-of-others-but-if-you-find-it/)

[Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/)

[Browse all 30 Analysing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/analysing/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "If you spend your energies looking for and analysing situations not closely followed by other informed investors, your chance of finding bargains greatly increases.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Joel Greenblatt"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-greenblatt/if-you-spend-your-energies-looking-for-and-analysing-situations-not/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Analysing"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-greenblatt/if-you-spend-your-energies-looking-for-and-analysing-situations-not/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1b/joel-greenblatt-21588_analysing_if-you-spend-your-energies-looking-for-a_1876620.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1b/joel-greenblatt-21588_analysing_if-you-spend-your-energies-looking-for-a_1876620.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1b/joel-greenblatt-21588_analysing_if-you-spend-your-energies-looking-for-a_1876620.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If you spend your energies looking for and analysing situations not closely followed by other informed…” — Joel Greenblatt",
                "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": "Joel Greenblatt",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-greenblatt/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "If you spend your energies looking...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-greenblatt/if-you-spend-your-energies-looking-for-and-analysing-situations-not/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-greenblatt/if-you-spend-your-energies-looking-for-and-analysing-situations-not/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```