--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Specifying our investment decision-making…" description: "\"“Specifying our investment decision-making criteria in algorithms and running historical data through them, or specifying our work principles in algori..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87e/ray-dalio-299_complicated_specifying-our-investment-decision-makin_2619336.jpg" --- # Specifying our investment decision-making criteria in… ![“Specifying our investment decision-making criteria in algorithms and running historical data through them, or specifying our work principles in algorithms and using them to aid in management decision making, are just bigger and more complicated versions of that smart thermostat.” quote by Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87e/ray-dalio-299_complicated_specifying-our-investment-decision-makin_2619336.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87e/ray-dalio-299_complicated_specifying-our-investment-decision-makin_2619336.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87e/ray-dalio-299_complicated_specifying-our-investment-decision-makin_2619336.jpg) > ““Specifying our investment decision-making criteria in algorithms and running historical data through them, or specifying our work principles in algorithms and using them to aid in management decision making, are just bigger and more complicated versions of that smart thermostat.”” [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Using algorithms to formalize decision criteria mirrors smart thermostats, but adds complexity without guaranteeing better outcomes. **In simple terms:** Algorithms simplify decisions but can become overly complex. Key Takeaway Simplify and test decision tools. Themes decision‑making algorithms automation complexity management Mood analytical cautious Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - business strategy - investment analysis - process improvement - team leadership Key Concepts systems thinking risk management technology adoption Questions to Reflect On - When does automation hinder rather than help? - How to balance intuition and data? A Different Perspective Complex systems can obscure human judgment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bigger Complicated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigger-complicated-2097083/) [Complicated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complicated/) [Complicated Versions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complicated-versions-2097084/) [Decision making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-making/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Investing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investing/) [Management](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/management/) [Smart Thermostat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart-thermostat-2097086/) [Specifying Investment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/specifying-investment-2097085/) ## Related quotes > [“It’ll be decades—and maybe never—before the computer can replicate many of the things that the brain can do in terms of imagination, synthesis, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/it-ll-be-decades-and-maybe-never-before-the-computer-can-replicate/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [When you're faced with a choice, you have one of three choices that you can have. 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Whenever I see a person who constantly posts negative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazmin-garcia/the-one-thing-i-absolutely-hate-about-social-media-are-the-people-who/) [Jazmin Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jazmin-garcia/) > [I think the ethics and morals of genetic engineering are very complicated. It intrigues me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-spottiswoode/i-think-the-ethics-and-morals-of-genetic-engineering-are-very/) [Roger Spottiswoode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-spottiswoode/) > [Your Starbucks order is directly proportional to how complicated your personality is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin/your-starbucks-order-is-directly-proportional-to-how-complicated-your/) [Kevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin/) > [Geometry, which should only obey Physics, when united with it sometimes commands it. 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They're not complicated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-maxwell/two-people-could-build-an-outhouse-in-four-hours-they-re-not/) [Robert Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-maxwell/) [Browse all 3,190 Complicated quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complicated/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Specifying our investment decision-making criteria in algorithms and running historical data through them, or specifying our work principles in algorithms and using them to aid in management decision making, are just bigger and more complicated versions of that smart thermostat.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ray Dalio" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/specifying-our-investment-decision-making-criteria-in-algorithms-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Complicated" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/specifying-our-investment-decision-making-criteria-in-algorithms-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87e/ray-dalio-299_complicated_specifying-our-investment-decision-makin_2619336.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87e/ray-dalio-299_complicated_specifying-our-investment-decision-makin_2619336.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87e/ray-dalio-299_complicated_specifying-our-investment-decision-makin_2619336.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Specifying our investment decision-making criteria in algorithms and running historical data through them…” — Ray Dalio", "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": "Ray Dalio", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Specifying our investment decision-making criteria in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/specifying-our-investment-decision-making-criteria-in-algorithms-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/specifying-our-investment-decision-making-criteria-in-algorithms-and/#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 } } ] } ```