Ray Dalio: do not weigh everyone's input the same
Ray Dalio says not to treat everyone's input as equally valuable. In his 2026 bootcamp, Richard C. Wilson explains how that works in a real meeting, where one person can be worth listening to on one topic and not on the next.
Weight by topic, not by person
Richard's example is a person with 30 years in M&A and little capital raising experience. In the same meeting you listen closely when they talk about M&A. When they talk about raising capital, you give their view little weight.
Most people, ignore. A few, study closely
Richard puts it bluntly. You should not care what most people think about your plans. You should listen very carefully to a few people and copy what they do.
Do not bark at every dog
He sets this up with a saying about a traveler who stops to bark back at every barking dog and never gets anywhere. Answering every critic costs you the trip.
The emotional side
Right after, Richard adds Dalio's warning not to let emotions drive your decisions.
In Richard's words
"Like Ray Dalio says, don't treat everyone equally on valuing their input." (Richard C. Wilson, 2026 bootcamp, about 1:13:41)
"Most people on planet Earth, you should not listen to at all or care what they think at all, but at the same time, you need to listen very carefully to some people, right?" (about 1:14:01)
"Ray Dalio says, do not let your emotions control your decisions." (about 1:14:20)
How to use this
- Before a big decision, write down who you are asking and what each one has actually done.
- Give advice weight on the topics where the adviser has a track record.
- Pick a few people to study closely and copy.
- Let most criticism go by without an answer.
Questions and answers
What does Ray Dalio mean by weighting input?
As Richard C. Wilson explains it, you value each person's opinion based on their experience in that specific area, instead of treating all views as equal.
Can the same person be trusted on one topic and not another?
Yes. Richard's example is an M&A veteran whose M&A advice you follow closely while giving little weight to their views on raising capital.
What else does Richard quote from Dalio?
Dalio's warning not to let your emotions control your decisions.