As a sailor, I learned to always take precautions. If I'm plotting a course, there are a lot of parameters for that and nowadays, reading the reflections and leofinance communities, I realized that some of the things I learned on the job can be applied in real life.
We always need data to be strong in economic matters and I want to compare it to my routes. When I draw a route, I first get the most up-to-date map-chart data and information. Then I start drawing. I don't see myself as an investor yet, but I can say that I am trying to learn this. Just as I need the latest information to prevent the ship from going to dangerous places, I need up-to-date information for economic power, or investing. I will not invest in a company blindly.
This is not only true in economics. In social life, you need to have the latest information. Everyone is using Instagram, everyone is using Twitter/x and they are getting information incredibly fast. As someone who doesn't use either of them, sometimes I feel like I'm behind. Then someone posts how did they get rich by this share, that coin, this investment style...
That is exciting, right?
No.
That social media adventures where so many articles are flying around and people are constantly explaining their opinions as if they were real facts can be very dangerous.
Imagine a sailor saying that it is very safe here, but in fact there is a piece of rock, an island. If you go and correct the course by trusting that person, your ship may sit on the rock. People's lives will be in danger. The environment will be polluted. Animals can die. It's a waste of time and money...
There are many social environments like this that are open to manipulation. What famous people with lots of followers say is accepted as true. Then here Im about to get married, trying to find the correct info..
So, you are as accurate as the retweets you receive? The more popular you are, the more trustworthy you are?
Of course, when this seems to be the case, we have to limit ourselves to some ignorance. The opinions of the people I follow and what the media channels I trust write are very different. Data charts and banks show the collapse, people see as an opportunity. Maybe Im stupid...
...and there are a lot of powerful and rich organizations that run the media. So in important events, it is what real people share on social media that matters. And so many people are complaining about the life expenses and impossibility of living in peace.
This is also in the maritime sector. If there are reports of danger, especially from more than one ship, the danger is considered to exist. I can say this is true about almost everything.
Just as I take precautions when doing something in my profession, I need to apply this in life. Sometimes we make decisions blindly. Most of the decisions I make without having enough information turn out to be wrong. I can see the impact of the decisions I make without listening to the experiences of others later on and wish I had listened. Especially if there are people who have already walked the path I prefer, I pay more attention to what they tell me.
Now I am someone who is planning for marriage. I am calculating almost every dollar. There is no question of investing and taking risks. Or is there? Even a few dollars I lose will cost me dearly. But if I listen to the people around me, they say you can borrow and pay it back.
You can take a loan from the bank and pay it off, make installments on your credit card... yes, these things will happen anyway, but when I look at the data I have and look at the interest rates on credit card installments and bank loans in my country, I am not sure... everyone is investing. Should I stay behind? This actually scares me.
Is "not investing" same with "playing safe"?
There is another parameter that we use on the ship. The distance to the danger and the space we can move on the route we have drawn. So you can think of it as breathing space. If there is a danger, we prefer to pass 2 miles or even 3 miles away instead of passing within less than 1 mile. This way, we leave a margin for error and a margin in case of emergency. If I take into account the people I follow on social media, I need to sell everything and invest right now ahahahha it's not hard to understand how absurd this is. It's like walking right into danger. Zero margin for error?
If I take into consideration my relatives and friends who just got married, this time I have to leave so much distance that there are some people who say don't even see the danger at all. So that means, take a longer route. Take a more distant route... but even if this reduces the risk, it distorts my expenditure and the time/money curve.
It is necessary to invest by taking calculated risks and cutting some expenses. There is no need to pass 10 miles away from danger and spend extra fuel and time. There is also no need to pass right next to it and take the risk. I should allocate an amount within the budget that does not tire me. I see some people taking very big risks. Do you do this? like people who sell their car and buy bitcoin? What is experience about marriage expenses?
I was about to post this on leofinance but at last minute changed it to reflections, because it is not about learning finance or any data. Its about how it feels and what I think. Hopefully thats ok.
Thank you very much for reading
Image Steve Buissinne by Pixabay