Fear is the main source of superstition, and oneof the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom… Bertrand Russell
Fear is a misunderstood emotion, and one that gets a pretty bad rap these days. We owe our survival as a species to the hard-wired fear that protected and kept us safe from physical threats for hundreds of thousands of years. But what about the litany of fears that plagues traders every day? Fear of losing, of watching profits disappear, making mistakes, missing out, taking profits too soon…the list goes on.
Perhaps the larger question is this: If there is so much fear and almost every trader feels fear, why do millions of people continue to trade? The answer lies in the way that fear is perceived.
For many, fear is a predator that is constantly lurking, sneaking up on them and ready to attack at any moment. In this brain set, they are always running away from fear, crouching in a corner or looking for a safe place to hide. Fear blinds them to opportunity in much the same way that greed blinds them to danger.
Fear is that little darkroom where negatives are developed… Ferdinand Pritchard (more…)