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Gems of Jesse Livermore

The desire for constant action irrespective of underlying conditions is responsible for many losses in Wall Street even among the professionals, who feel that they must take home some money every day, as though they were working for regular wages.

I don’t know whether I make myself plain, but I never lose my temper over the stock market. I never argue with the tape. Getting sore at the market doesn’t get you anywhere.

Don't Get Trapped

1) Anchoring trap. The mind gives a disproportionate amount of weight to the first information received on a topic. Keeping an open mind and avoiding premature conclusions is a way to avoid this trap.

2) Status quo trap. Forecasts tend to perpetuate recent observations. If inflation has been high, it is expected to remain high. It is a psychological risk to assume something different. The authors suggest rational analysis within decision-making to avoid falling into this trap.

3) Confirming evidence trap. Individuals give greater weight to information that supports an existing point of view. Being honest to oneself about one’s motives, examining all evidence with equal rigor, and enlisting independent-minded people to argue against you are ways of mitigating this bias.

4) Overconfidence trap. Individuals overestimate the accuracy of their forecasts. Widening the range of expected possible outcomes is one way to mitigate this tendency.

5) Prudence trap. There is a tendency to temper forecasts that appear extreme. If a forecast turns out to be extreme and then wrong, it could be damaging to one’s career. Therefore, sticking to the herd is safer. The authors again suggest widening the range of expected possible forecasts to avoid falling into this trap.

6) Recallability trap. Individuals are overly influenced by events that have left a strong impression on a person’s memory. These events tend to be catastrophic or dramatic. To avoid falling into this trap, individuals should ground their conclusions in objective data rather than emotion or memories.

A Trading Psychology Checklist

How do you know if your trading psychology problem is really just about trading or is a sign of larger problems? Here is a quick checklist:
A) Does your problem occur outside of trading? For instance, do you have temper and self-control problems at home or in other areas of life, such as gambling or excessive spending?
B) Has your problem predated your trading? Did you have similar emotional symptoms when you were young or before you began your trading career?
C) Does your problem spill over to other areas of your life? Does it affect your feelings about yourself, your overall motivation and happiness in life, and your effectiveness in your work and social lives?
D) Does your problem affect other people? Do you feel as though others with whom you work or live are impacted adversely by your problem? Have others asked you to get help?
E) Do you have a family history of emotional problems and/or substance use problems? Have others, particularly in your immediate family, had treated or untreated emotional problems?
If you answered “yes” to two or more of the above items, consider that you may not be alone. More than 10% of the population qualifies with a diagnosable problem of anxiety, depression, or substance abuse. Tweaking your trading will be of little help if the problem has a medical or psychological root. A professional consultation if you answered “yes” to two or more checklist items might be your best money management strategy.

20 Trading Wisdom Lines

(1)  Those who work their plan will prosper, but those who chase fantasies lack judgment.

(2)  Those who want to do right will get a rich reward. But those who want to “get rich quick” will quickly  fail“.

(3)  Trying to “get rich quick” is wrong & leads to poverty.

(4)  Wealth taken from gambling quickly disappears; wealth from diligent effort & hard work grows“.

(5)  Follow the rules & keep your financial life intact; ignoring them means financial ruin.

(6)  A person without self-control is as defenseless as a city with broken-down walls.

(7)  The wise control their temper.  They know that anger causes mistakes.

(8)  The intelligent are always open to new ideas, in fact they look for them.

(9)  Get all the advice that you can & be wise all the rest of your life.

(10)  Fools despise advice; ‘the wise’ consider each suggestion.

(11)  Fools think they need no advice, but ‘the wise’ listen to others.

(12)  To learn, you must want to be taught.  To refuse correction is stupid.

(13)  Anyone willing to be corrected is on the path to success. Those who refuse correction have lost their chance.

(14)  Hard work brings prosperity; playing around brings poverty.

(15) If you love sleep, you will end up in poverty.  Stay awake, work hard, & there will be plenty to eat.

(16)  The foolish will lose in the end, ‘the wise’ will end up with the winnings.

(17)  The wise save up for the future, but the foolish spend whatever they get”.

(18)  Truth stands the test of time; lies are soon exposed.

(19 Be faithful & honest with yourself in your trading, bediligent & consistent & it will bring you Prosperity.
(20) Steady plodding brings prosperity; hasty speculation brings poverty.

Think carefully about each one of these quotes.  I think you’ll find out a little something about yourself you didn’t already know.  For example, your “strengths” and “weaknesses” in your trading should be clearly pointed out be analyzing each one of these phrases.  These simple and short phrases should help you become a better trader — and hopefully a better person in general!