A quote that applies well to finance, courtesy of Napoleon Bonaparte, of all people:
"The whole art of war consists in a well-reasoned and extremely circumspect defensive, followed by rapid and audacious attack."
Replace "war" with "investing" or "trading" and you have a pretty succinct blueprint for doing well.
The point, of course, is to obsess over covering your tail. . . but to strike quickly and decisively when the situation warrants it. I could think of worse advice to follow.
