Trading is not zero-sum. It is negative-sum. You pay commissions don't you? You also often pay into a MM's or specialist's spread don't you?
Hey jackass! First of all, while some people's views are more logical than others, how are everyone's views here, as a group, "completely illogical views of the world?" All you do is talk shit. At least be specific? And if you don't like the thread, don't read it. It's that simple genius!
Nearly anything can be examined by ethics. It is very subjective, although some perspectives are more rational than others (some perspectives are even contradictory or hypocritical). What law school did you supposedly attend?
Not necessarily. He could be saying that he studied ethics in law school, since ethics is one of the major areas studied. However, I have doubts about whether he really went to law school.
There have been people that walked away from their rich families or highly lucrative careers in order to do something that they thought was more important. So the suggestion that no man in history has done it is absurd. As for your question why it is wrong to be materialistic, the answer is that you are what you stand for. Obviously, we all want gadgets, leisure and security. But if you live only for wealth, then you are shallow and you are nothing if you are without wealth. Those who have happy families and strong principles are very complete, even without wealth. And in fact, if you are greedy then even if you have wealth, you will never be satisfied. And ultimately, if you are not happy without wealth, then you are not truly happy with it. Rather YOU convince yourself that the material makes you happy, when really it only makes you happy on a surface level (although perhaps that is as deep as you go).
Actually I know many people with a great deal of money who feel that money does not buy them happiness at all. In fact, some of them live relatively modestly given their wealth. In one extreme case, I know of a guy who was not filthy rich but pretty well off and donated most of his money every year to charity, while he lived VERY modestly. I don' t think this guy is a loser at all. I admire him very much. I wouldn't do it myself, but I think it shows that much more substance, character, will, principle and integrity on his part and I admire him for it.
I am not going to address the ethics of trading, although I certainly do believe that insider trading is unethical!! But I will say that the 1st point was very flawed in one respect. The guy took an unscientific poll of traders and, since he deemed the results to be poor, concluded that traders are less ethical than others. Where is any evidence that others are any less ethical? Is there a poll, even an unscientific one, where he can compare his results to the results of a similar question posed to people of other professions? Otherwise, he is merely guessing how other professions (or the public at-large) would fare.
right on. There is a long list of wealthy people who committed suicide, when the world thought they had all a person could want. People who say 'money can't buy happiness' are often people who have had it and know. But I don't expect you to get the message. If you have to learn the hard way, at least you will have learned. Money can only rent happiness.
I would agree. I am not saying you cant be happy without it....and I am not saying that if you have it....you are happy......but to say it cant isnt true. And to believe that makes you shallow it also a total farce. There are extremely deep and modest people in the world that simply enjoy what money affords them.