Are traders smarter people?
Are they better equipped for the current world?
the big question: Is being stupid a result of complacency?
All this in today's musings!
)
In Romania we have a saying: "If only being stupid hurt....".
It means that a lot of people are stupid or are doing stupid shit but because it does not actually hurt they'll just continue to do them. What if it hurt to say a moronic thing?! The romanian folklore is a long rhetorical question...anyway.
My theory is that trading makes you smarter by minimizing the stupid shit you do because when you do...it hurts. Oh yes, it won't hit you in the face or give you diarrhea [ ouch! ] but it will hurt you. Only someone who never lost money doesn't know the gut-punching nauseous feeling of seeing your balance go down, your trades reduced to ashes, your value slashed, your fortune turned and your dreams pissed on by the mighty dirty old man "Mr MARKET".
You get used to it a bit but never completely. It hurts and it sucks and you will do anything you can do minimize this occurrence.
YES, you will start reading books.
YES, you will start learning and looking at videos and following traders.
YES, you will be humbler.
And before you know it you will be a better person, a smarter person and generally a WISER person. Or else, you are a broke moron so really not "a trader". If you make it, you make it like a humble evolved person. I am yet to see someone who isn't.
Are they better equipped for the current world?
Yes, because all of the above applies to our world as well.It is fickle, it is chaotic, it is more destructive than anything we can imagine but also more beautiful. You lern to appreciate it, to see that beauty is revealed by wisdom and to take it with generosity. And when shit hits the fan..they are readier.
As for the BIG question I belive this is a bit like evolution. We live in societies that are more and more stupid-friendly. It's very hard to do something so stupid that will take you out of the gene pool..so to say :D. And the thing is..you can go by OK in most evolved societies by being compalcent. I'm not saying stupid as in low IQ just below your potential.
If your current level is OK, you might just be OK all your life. Not bad but considering you could be AWESOME, isn't that just..STUPID?! to do. I think so.
In trading, you can not be complacent. When you get complacent you are ded. You stay alert and ahead or you are done. This mentality will apply in everything else.
I hope you enjoyed today's musing and if you have anything on your mind shoot me a question in the comments and I'll see if I have any thoughts on it!