Ramit Sethi Reveals A Misconception About Personal Finance: 'There's This Phrase That Drives Me Insane'

Marc Guberti

Sat, Jul 5, 2025, 5:31 PM 4 min read

Financial personality Ramit Sethi has been helping people navigate their personal finances for decades. His book, "I Will Teach You To Be Rich," helped him claim the spotlight and get in front of millions of people in the process.

Sethi hasn't been afraid to share hot takes and challenge people to think differently about their finances. However, he recently let loose on a common saying that's been dominating the personal finance industry in recent years.

"There's this phrase that drives me insane," Sethi explained in a recent TikTok.

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Sethi's talking about how people say that personal finance is personal. He doesn't like the saying and explains how it can make personal finance harder than necessary.

Sethi rips the phrase by saying that you are not a special snowflake. While personal finance involves personal goals and challenges, many people have those same goals and challenges.

If you're looking to save money for a down payment while budgeting your expenses, you're not alone. You are also not alone if you are looking to climb the corporate ladder so you can invest more money into your portfolio each month. Deciding between buying vs. renting is another common issue that many people debate. It's not just you.

Sethi explains that this perspective can reduce your stress when it comes to personal finance. It's easier to see what others have done in a similar situation and assess the pros and cons of each financial decision that comes your way.

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Sethi believes we should be saying, "Most people are mostly the same," instead of "personal finance is personal." When you shift to realizing that most people are mostly the same, you don't need personalized advice.

Instead of seeking personalized advice, you can take advice that has worked well for others and apply it to your life. Some Reddit posts and communities are great for gauging people's thoughts on money and how they overcame common obstacles.

Seeing other people talking about their experiences can also give you motivation. You can hear stories about how someone went from living in their car to having a $1 million portfolio or how a single parent managed to make ends meet before their children went to college. People have endured various challenges and achieved significant personal finance goals, and some of these same people share their entire experience, plus what worked for them, on sites like Reddit.