I Love This Guy
Great comedy has its roots in
reality; taken to an absurd level is what makes its point and why it is so
funny. The Allstate Insurance ads, based on the “Mayhem” character, are some of
the most creative I have ever seen; imagine bringing insurance to life and
giving it a humorous meaning wrapped up inside a series of human mishaps!
In the 1980’s, the great
cult-classic comedy “Trading Places” was
released; at its root the manipulation of orange juice futures by Mortimer and
Randolph Duke.
At some of my speaking
engagements, I often ask people if they have seen the film [almost all have]
and if they found it funny. I can’t ever remember anybody ever saying anything
but it was a great comedy and they loved it.
OK, then since comedy is based in
reality, I guess you found it funny because you can relate to the losses and
suffering of the Dukes? [Suddenly the
crowd grows silent, laughter subsides, and faces grow long; I stand there not
moving, looking intently at the faces choosing
to make eye contact (about
half don’t) … tension grows in the air (you can feel it)…. people are becoming
uneasy (you can see it)… nobody really sure where I’m going with this and it is making some very
uncomfortable.
When I finally do say something,
it is only to announce that it’s time for a quick restroom break, grab a soft
drink in the back of the room, and be back here in 10 minutes. I then quickly
disappear out of the room so nobody has access to me.
I learn later from the staff, that
this break has people murmuring that maybe some of them have made me mad, or
that I took something the wrong way from somebody and am a little miffed – a very
mild case of jock itch has spread throughout the room; no pain just a little
discomfort!
When I come back, I am quick to
announce that what happened prior to the break was a pure, blatant human
manipulation scheme perpetrated by me [on them] to get them into an
uncomfortable mental state of mind.
WHY?
This is what happens to your brain when
you lose money trading and don’t know why!
For the life of you, you can’t
figure out why you are going broke faster than ice cream melts in the summer;
your brain is going in 17 directions at the same time; confusion, denial,
regret, and about 1000 other emotions run through you. For those in the
audience who choose NOT to follow the algo, this is what your future looks
like.
“OK, who wants to go there?” [Amazingly, there are no hands in the air.]
When I lose money on a trade, I
know exactly why I lost; it is the cost of doing business.
Nothing more, nothing less; without the risk of small loss, the gain cannot be
there on the other side. Trading finance offers no free lunch.
If/when I do get a little
emotional and vent on myself [like Tuesday], it is only the opportunity I lost,
not the money. There are 2 kinds of capital you need to trade; 1) actual
physical money you deposit in your account, and 2) emotional capital that says
to you, “it’s OK to make this trade”.
Which is the hardest to raise and
keep?
Physical money you can get almost
anywhere; when you lose your emotional capital you are like burnt toast … even
you don’t want yourself.
I hope that you can see that the
algorithm [mine or others you might use] gives you more than “trading instructions”; it is your anchor in choppy waters that keeps your emotional capital
well fed and in good balance.
Have a great day everyone.
-vegas
No comments:
Post a Comment