Charlie Munger’s “Don’t Make Big Mistakes” Rule—The Underrated Key to Career Longevity
Most career advice is about optimization—how to be more productive, more visible, more strategic. But Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett’s intellectual partner, had a different approach.
Most career advice is about optimization—how to be more productive, more visible, more strategic. But Charlie Munger, the late billionaire investor and Warren Buffett’s intellectual partner, had a different approach:
“It is remarkable how much long-term advantage people like us have gotten by trying to be consistently not stupid, instead of trying to be very intelligent.”
In other words, don’t chase brilliance—just avoid catastrophe.
This idea is a form of via negativa, a mental model where instead of focusing on what to add, you focus on what to eliminate. At work, it translates to this: You don’t need to be the smartest person in the room—you just need to avoid major screw-ups that kill your reputation, trust, or career trajectory.
Let’s break down how this principle applies to your job, your projects, and your long-term career.
Big Mistakes at Work: The Silent Career Killers
Most careers don’t get derailed because someone lacks raw talent. They get derailed because of avoidable mistakes:
1. Breaking Trust – If your manager or teammates can’t rely on you, you’re done. This isn’t about being perfect—it’s about showing up, keeping your word, and not overpromising.
2. Recklessness with High-Stakes Work – Some tasks allow for trial and error. Others don’t. Pushing a Friday night deploy without a rollback plan? Bad idea. Handling security-sensitive data carelessly? That one mistake could haunt you for years.