An earnest young newsman went up to Jesse Livermore one day and asked if he felt it was worthwhile to become a millionaire, considering all the strife and struggle one had to go through to get there. Livermore responded that he liked money a lot, so it was certainly worthwhile to him. But aren’t there nights when a stock trader can’t sleep? the reporter pursued. Is life worth living when you’re worried all the time?
“Well now, kid, I’ll tell you,” Livermore said. “Every occupation has its aches and pains. If you keep bees, you get stung. Me, I get worried. It’s either that or stay poor. If I’ve got a choice between worried and poor, I’ll take worried anytime.”
Livermore admitted that he worried about his speculations all the time, even in his sleep. But hen he said that was all right by him. “It’s the way I want it,” he said. “I don’t think I’d enjoy life half as much if I always knew how rich I was going to be tomorrow.”