Did you ever notice that most traders are highly intelligent?

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mrsoul

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Did you ever notice that most traders are highly intelligent?
I think that the intellectual challenge of trading is a big reason why many traders start playing this game; I know that was my reason for starting (and, of course, the money too).
You can tell from how well most of the traders write on this forum, and on other forums, that they have alot going on upstairs.
You really are competing against some of the best minds in the world.
I don't know if intelligence will guarantee success in this game but it certainly helps.
I am wondering if anyone else has made the same observation.
 
There are highly "intelligent" people who can't trade their way out of a punctured balloon.
The reality is there are different forms of intelligence and a lot more than that is required to succeed at trading.
This was gone into at length by Socrates in the dim and distant past so if you have a real interest it's worth reading his material, as long as you can stay calm and cool ;-)
 
Mr. Charts said:
There are highly "intelligent" people who can't trade their way out of a punctured balloon.
The reality is there are different forms of intelligence and a lot more than that is required to succeed at trading.
This was gone into at length by Socrates in the dim and distant past so if you have a real interest it's worth reading his material, as long as you can stay calm and cool ;-)
Click to expand...


Did Socrates talk about different forms of intelligence or how intelligence is related to speculation?

If he talked about intelligence and speculation, which of his works?
 
Oh I can't go searching for you........I don't have enough lifetimes :)
Journey from the basement was quite entertaining with many gems amongst the merde.
 
I think that the intellectual challenge of trading is a big reason why many traders start playing this game; I know that was my reason for starting (and, of course, the money too).
Click to expand...

So you consider yourself an intellectual ?


Paul
 
mrsoul said:
I think that the intellectual challenge of trading is a big reason why many traders start playing this game; I know that was my reason for starting (and, of course, the money too).
Click to expand...

As much as I personally tend toward the "intellectual challenge" aspect of trading and market analysis, I think your parenthetical reference is the more frequent motivator for folks getting into the market. Just on a pure probability basis the odds don't favor most traders being "highly intelligent", but as has been noted one needs to define the metrics to say yea or nay.
 
Have met a few (thick) retired sportsmen who are in fact 5hit hot at trading/investing. I know a dentist, doctor and gynocolo..gynak...girlie bits doctor who do it part time and are utterly useless. You know why the sportsmen (in particular the 2 ex winners of European cups) do well? Winners fookin mentality, it beats the 'kind' of intelligence you allude to every fookin time matey...
 
Black Swan said:
Have met a few (thick) retired sportsmen who are in fact 5hit hot at trading/investing. I know a dentist, doctor and gynocolo..gynak...girlie bits doctor who do it part time and are utterly useless. You know why the sportsmen (in particular the 2 ex winners of European cups) do well? Winners fookin mentality, it beats the 'kind' of intelligence you allude to every fookin time matey...
Click to expand...

good point.
 
didn't isaac newton lose all his money trading stock?

You can tell from how well most of the traders write on this forum, and on other forums, that they have alot going on upstairs.
Click to expand...

yeh i see some of the long in depth intellectual posts on the forum, arguing about some tiny detail about trading over and over, going into maths and psychology and philosophy and whatever else. then seeing a post by the same user on another part of the website, and it turns out they're not even making any money. maybe their hobby is to talk about trading, who knows.
 
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I don't think anyone has adequately defined intelligence in any meaningful way... ultimately the only real signs of intelligence are success at some task or another... and profitable trading is success at that task, ergo intelligence, or the appearance thereof.
 
arabianights said:
I don't think anyone has adequately defined intelligence in any meaningful way... ultimately the only real signs of intelligence are success at some task or another... and profitable trading is success at that task, ergo intelligence, or the appearance thereof.
Click to expand...

In a place I where used to work we had a thing called "effective intelligence" which was used in personal assessments. Thus you could have academically a very well qualified and "intelligent" person who couldn't actually do the job (high stress / fast but controlled reactions / ability to have a plan but modify in the light of events - very similar to some types of trading in fact!). Yet other non-academic individuals (clever, bright but not necessarily top notch academically) were brilliant.

So it all depends on what you mean by intelligence. I had heard that the most successful London floor traders used to be ex-barrow boys: sharp and quick witted but probably not hindered by too many GCE's!

Anyway, there may be intelligent life on Earth but I will be leaving at some point. :)
 
rathcoole_exile said:
so which ex-Linfield players do you know?
Click to expand...

:D

Just thought on the footy subject how 'clever' is David Beckham? Consider the way he has managed himself, his career, his cash...same with his Mrs...On the face of it not the brightest lights in the illuminations but both incredibly sussed...not much luck involved at all. Very intelligent people in my book, probably wouldn't pass an A level between them.
 
Black Swan said:
Have met a few (thick) retired sportsmen who are in fact 5hit hot at trading/investing. I know a dentist, doctor and gynocolo..gynak...girlie bits doctor who do it part time and are utterly useless. You know why the sportsmen (in particular the 2 ex winners of European cups) do well? Winners fookin mentality, it beats the 'kind' of intelligence you allude to every fookin time matey...
Click to expand...

Being stupid should prevent you from questioning yourself and the system (in their case, surely given to them) you are using.

Effectively they'd trade like a black box.
 
mrsoul said:
Did you ever notice that most traders are highly intelligent?
I think that the intellectual challenge of trading is a big reason why many traders start playing this game; I know that was my reason for starting (and, of course, the money too).
You can tell from how well most of the traders write on this forum, and on other forums, that they have alot going on upstairs.
You really are competing against some of the best minds in the world.
I don't know if intelligence will guarantee success in this game but it certainly helps.
I am wondering if anyone else has made the same observation.
Click to expand...

You guys want everything!

It's nice to be thought an intellectual, isn't it? Keep trying, people might begin to think so.
 
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