"Buying Stocks Is Like Dating"

I just finished reading Rich Dad Poor Dad's Who Took My Money book. Despite Robert Kiyosaki's consistent plugs for his other books and rhetoric against mutual funds, this book offers a nice balance to the stocks steroid-injected nature of Money Magazine and its kind. The book offers a general pep talk to the masses to financially educate themselves.

I particularly liked one paragraph from the book. I have made a comment before relating the commonalities in purchasing a house and being in a relationship. Kiyosaki, or rather his Rich Dad, has done a much better job in this comparison.

Rich dad used to say, “Buying stocks is like dating. You go to a dinner and a movie, and if you do not get along, you shake hands at the door and you don’t go out again. Buying real estate is like getting married. Before getting married, first there is generally a lot of dating… personally looking at as many properties as possible. Then after you find the property of your dreams there is a big wedding ceremony at the bank, and then you settle down and see what happens. If you and your property do not get along, and the marriage becomes a nightmare, getting divorced can be a tedious and stressful transaction.” When it comes to a business, rich dad said, “Building or owning a business is by far the most rewarding but also the most stressful of all the three assets. If investing in paper assets is like dating, and acquiring real estate is like getting married, then investing in a business is like being married with kids.”