Rationalizing

[Joe Ross]

One of the most important things to learn in this life is how we ourselves behave, not only when we are acting on our own, but when we are part of the crowd. And what few of us understand is how many of our important daily actions are not thought out in advance. We are all attempting to survive in what is basically a hostile environment. Many of our actions are in response to some sort of stimulus, whether someone else’s words, or actions, or something physical like our computer going down while in the midst of a trade. It may be painful to admit, but in much of human behavior we act first and then rationalize what we did later. While we all try to be logical, in most instances the rationalization comes after the fact, if it comes at all, and in general it is not at all close to explaining why we acted in the way we did. It is tough to be honest with ourselves, but honesty with self holds the secret to success. This is nowhere more true than in trading.

 

[new_trader]

One of the most important things to learn in this life is how we ourselves behave, not only when we are acting on our own, but when we are part of the crowd. And what few of us understand is how many of our important daily actions are not thought out in advance. We are all attempting to survive in what is basically a hostile environment. Many of our actions are in response to some sort of stimulus, whether someone else’s words, or actions, or something physical like our computer going down while in the midst of a trade. It may be painful to admit, but in much of human behavior we act first and then rationalize what we did later. While we all try to be logical, in most instances the rationalization comes after the fact, if it comes at all, and in general it is not at all close to explaining why we acted in the way we did. It is tough to be honest with ourselves, but honesty with self holds the secret to success. This is nowhere more true than in trading.

How many people honestly answer the question; "Are you fitted for the profession?" At a rough guess I'd say 9/10 people never bother because they don't believe this question is relevant. They think it's just a matter of finding the perfect 'system' and making millions with it. Simple.