Edgar Dale gets credit for helping us to understand that we learn best through action—doing the real thing or a simulation. Sometimes it’s called experiential learning. Dale and his Cone of Learning tell us that reading and lecture are the least effective ways to learn. And yet we all know how most schools teach: reading and lecture.

“If you learn life’s lessons, you will do well. If not, life will just continue to push you around. People do two things. Some just let life push them around. Others get angry and push back. But they push back against their boss, or their job, or their husband or wife. They do not know it’s life that’s pushing.”

“Life pushes all of us around. Some people give up and others fight. A few learn the lesson and move on. They welcome life pushing them around. To these few people, it means they need and want to learn something. They learn and move on. Most quit, and a few like you fight.”

Learning by making mistakes through trial and error is more and more important. Book learning is proving to be less valuable in the real world.

• Note: Thats me.

I’ve learned the truth and wisdom in rich dad’s words. So much of life is out of our control. I’ve learned to focus on what I do have control over: myself. And if things must change, first I must change.

The poor and the middle class work for money. The rich have money work for them.

You see, true learning takes energy, passion, and a burning desire. Anger is a big part of that formula, for passion is anger and love combined. When it comes to money, most people want to play it safe and feel secure. So passion does not direct them. Fear does.”

People’s lives are forever controlled by two emotions: fear and greed.

The word ‘emotion’ stands for ‘energy in motion.’

There is a difference between being poor and being broke. Broke is temporary. Poor is eternal.

I don’t work for money!” were words he would repeat over and over. “Money works for me!

barring unforeseen cataclysmic changes, we can work or not work, and our wealth grows automatically, staying ahead of inflation. Our assets are large enough to grow by themselves. It’s like planting a tree. You water it for years, and then one day it doesn’t need you anymore. Its roots are implanted deep enough. Then the tree provides shade for your enjoyment.

If people are prepared to be flexible, keep an open mind and learn, they will grow richer and richer despite tough changes. If they think money will solve problems, they will have a rough ride.

If you are going to build the Empire State Building, the first thing you need to do is dig a deep hole and pour a strong foundation. If you are going to build a home in the suburbs, all you need to do is pour a six-inch slab of concrete. Most people, in their drive to get rich, are trying to build an Empire State Building on a six-inch slab.

Rich people acquire assets. The poor and middle class acquire liabilities that they think are assets.

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”

“The rich acquire assets, and the poor and middle class acquire liabilities.”

Unlike net worth—which is the difference between your assets and liabilities, and is often filled with a person’s expensive junk and opinions of what things are worth—this definition creates the possibility for developing a truly accurate measurement.

collect real estate simply because I love buildings and land. I love shopping for them, and I could look at them all day long. When problems arise, the problems aren’t so bad that it changes my love for real estate. For people who hate real estate, they shouldn’t buy it.

Start minding your own business. Keep your daytime job, but start buying real assets, not liabilities.

I don’t encourage anyone to start a company unless they really want to.

Nine out of ten companies fail in five years. Of those that survive the first five years, nine out of every ten of those eventually fail as well. So only if you really have the desire to own your own company do I recommend it. Otherwise, keep your day job and mind your own business.

An important distinction is that rich people buy luxuries last, while the poor and middle class tend to buy luxuries first. The poor and the middle class often buy luxury items like big houses, diamonds, furs, jewelry, or boats because they want to look rich. They look rich, but in reality they just get deeper in debt on credit.

old-money people, the long-term rich, build their asset column first. Then the income generated from the asset column buys their luxuries.

So many people work for everyone else: their employer, the government (taxes), and the bank (mortgage).