Can anyone reflect on taking college psychology or behavioral finance for trading?

Discussion in 'Psychology' started by TraderGreg, Dec 19, 2008.

  1. Chapter 7 - The Treasurer
    Dr. John Porter

    I think another one had similar ideas, but I just finished that chapter and it triggered my questions.
     
    #11     Dec 20, 2008
  2. Bootsie

    Bootsie

    http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=147883
     
    #12     Dec 21, 2008
  3. Lucrum

    Lucrum

    I took a psychology class in college. About the only thing I remember is that the instructor had nice tits.



    I wonder what Freud would say about that?
     
    #13     Dec 21, 2008
  4. Thanks for the link, Bootsie. I actually have that one bookmarked and on my to read list when I have time, but I'll subscribe to it and keep with it.
     
    #14     Dec 21, 2008
  5. I'm a philosophy major.

    Understanding logic and the various logical fallacies helps with trading, and approaching life in general, because it helps to know the distinction between calm rational thought and emotional foolishness (a very fine line in trading I might add).

    But the empiricists screw up logic, science, mathematics, common sense, (philosophy in general) because of their skepticism. If they were alive today, they would probably screw up trading philosophy too. :p

    Although it's great to wear the Hume hat once in a while to destroy people's various assumptions, I try and take that hat off when I sit down and try to calmly interpret my data while trading.
     
    #15     Dec 21, 2008
  6. Wasn't skepticism part of becoming a successful trader?
    Or empiricist who are skeptical = being a screw up?

    Isn't that a typical profile of a guru in ET?
     
    #16     Dec 21, 2008
  7. The kind of skepticism that makes you doubt you're even sitting at a computer, making trades.

    Let alone, the trading decisions you make could be based on nothing but illusions of perception.

    No good if you're looking to trust yourself. In the long-run, if it's all just a joke, we might as well go down to the casino instead, they serve drinks there :)
     
    #17     Dec 21, 2008
  8. Gotcha. Agreed.
     
    #18     Dec 21, 2008
  9. ggoyal

    ggoyal

    i don't agree with that. In case of trading, you have to make mistakes to learn from them. no can spoon feed you and say " go, make your millions now". you have to go through some struggle to learn.
     
    #19     Dec 21, 2008
  10. I think he's suggesting that it will give you tools to identify the problem when you make that mistake.

    I don't agree, I think psychology is BS. But I think that's what he meant.
     
    #20     Dec 21, 2008