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TRADING WISDOM

1. The market expects you to accept losses.  If you want to play in the market you better be prepared to play by the market’s rules.  Accept the losses, make them small based on proper risk parameters, and the market will consider it a tithe.  Just set it aside and help pay for a pew, not the entire church.

2.  The market wants you to admit when you are wrong.  Commit to admit.  If the market is always right, and it is, then go ahead and let the market know NOW that you understand and accept its omnipotence.  Broadcast it to the heavens and to depths of the earth; broadcast it to your friends and family; broadcast it to your neighbors; broadcast it in every chat room you use to brag in.   Let everyone know you will be wrong more often than right and that you are OK with that.  If the market knows you do not mind being wrong the market will leave you alone.

3.  The market will reward your discipline.  Let’s face it, the market is one disciplined son of a gun.  When it says it is going to crush the bears with their death cross and the bulls with their golden cross it does.  When the market says a bearish economic report does not matter I am going higher anyway it will.  When the market says that cute little support line you drew is nothing but “a lead pencil and I am an eraser”, then erasing it will go.  Stick to a discipline of listening to what the market is saying and the market will whisper its direction instead of shouting its lies.

4.  The market is the calculator.  If you are attempting to reach 10 via the calculator, there are many and various ways of getting there:  5+5, 2+8, 15-5, 25 –15, or even  2 + 2 –1 –1 –2 –2 +3 +3 +3 + 3.  When it comes to making money in the market our calculator may want to make it to 10 much quicker than the market does and we may want to add 5 + 5 to get there but be prepared for the market to take its own sweet time adding things up.  If all that matters is getting to 10, then make sure the road you take is paved with minuses along with pluses along the way or all your money will be going to the 5508 (punch this number into your calculator and turn it upside down to see what it spells), which will make the employee a very unhappy and broke individual.

Benjamin Graham Quotes

  • Individuals who cannot master their emotions are ill-suited to profit from the investment process. – View Quote Details on Individuals who cannot master their emotions are ill-suited to profit…
  • Most of the time common stocks are subject to irrational and excessive price fluctuations in both directions as the consequence of the ingrained tendency of most people to speculate or gamble…to give way to hope, fear and greed. – View Quote Details on Most of the time common stocks are subject to irrational…
  • You are neither right nor wrong because the crowd disagrees with you. You are right because your data and reasoning are right. – View Quote Details on You are neither right nor wrong because the crowd disagrees…
  • Warren Buffett, story from Benjamin Graham: A story that was passed down from Ben Graham illustrates the lemminglike behavior of the crowd: “Let me tell you the story of the oil prospector who met St. Peter at the Pearly Gates. When told his occupation, St. Peter said, “Oh, I’m really sorry. You seem to meet all the tests to get into heaven. But we’ve got a terrible problem. See that pen over there? That’s where we keep the oil prospectors waiting to get into heaven. And it’s filled—we haven’t got room for even one more.” The oil prospector thought for a minute and said, “Would you mind if I just said four words to those folks?” “I can’t see any harm in that,” said St. Pete. So the old-timer cupped his hands and yelled out, “Oil discovered in hell!” Immediately, the oil prospectors wrenched the lock off the door of the pen and out they flew, flapping their wings as hard as they could for the lower regions. “You know, that’s a pretty good trick,” St. Pete said. “Move in. The place is yours. You’ve got plenty of room.” The old fellow scratched his head and said, “No. If you don’t mind, I think I’ll go along with the rest of ’em. There may be some truth to that rumor after all.” – View Quote Details on Warren Buffett, story from Benjamin Graham: A story that was…