'Flow', 'Mastery' & The 'Way' of the Trade

Discussion in 'Psychology' started by Flow, Nov 30, 2002.

  1. My question is are you profitable?

    I think it went like:

    Before a man can write, he needs to learn how to use the pen.

    -some quote I remember reading a while back...
     
    #71     Jan 15, 2003
  2. If I lived my life like I trade, I'd be a better trader
     
    #72     Jan 19, 2003
  3. that's the point. what we call thinking isn't thinking at all. it's just mental chatter that takes you out.

    what you think creates what happens, that's why I always think the market is going to go my way

    negative thoughts are the result of poor reading of the market.

    if you're reading the market well, the negative thoughts will go away

    it's hard to read the market when you're thinking

    that's why they say "Plow the field, count the harvest, but don't count the harvest when you're plowing the field."
     
    #73     Jan 19, 2003
  4. You say, "But profitseer, what if you think the markets going up and it goes down?"

    Now, why in the world would I think the market is going up if it's going down?
     
    #74     Jan 19, 2003

  5. A very Zen answer.

    :D
     
    #75     Jan 23, 2003
  6. Babak

    Babak

    reminds me of a story my brother told me recently.....

    A vicious general was invading a small village in Japan and all the inhabitants busily gathered all their belongings and fled, clutching their children and everything else they could carry.

    The only person to not flee the village was an old monk who as usual sat in his customary place and continued his meditation.

    The soldiers of the general ran through the streets and returned to inform the general that the village was indeed deserted. He was very happy because he knew that his ruthless reputation had scared the living daylights out of the people.

    One soldier ventured warily up to the general to say that there had been one old man found in the monastery. The general become enraged and put on his helmet and grabs his sword to go and see this puny man who dares to remain and face him.

    He kicked the door of the monastery open and soon as his eyes got accustomed to the dim light of the place, saw the form of an old man kneeling in meditation. Completely oblivious to his arrival.

    He ran up to him and unsheathed his sword and bellowed:

    "Who the hell do you think you are? With one blow of this sword I can cut you into two !!"

    The old monk, slowly rose to his feet and looked into the generals eyes and said,

    "Who am I? I am he who with one blow of that sword can be cut into two."

    And with that turned his back to the general and resumed his meditation.
     
    #76     Jan 23, 2003
  7. So then I am in a drawdown, and I am trying really hard to make money, but it's not working. So then I read in the Tao that I shouldn't try. So I quit trying and immediately start making money. So I read more and it says I shouldn't care. So I quit caring and that works.

    So everything is going great, but then I go into another drawdown. At first I don't care. Then I try really hard not to care. But no matter how much I don't try and don't care, I keep losing money.

    Maybe I just didn't try hard enough. It is a lot of work trying not to care. Especially when you are in a drawdown.
     
    #77     Jan 30, 2003
  8. It is the space between...

    It is sort of like holding a bird Profit -- hold on too tightly and you will smother it / too lightly and it will fly out of your hands...

    Teach us to care and not to care... ~T.S. Elliot~
     
    #78     Jan 30, 2003
  9. Is the space between
    The limits which make the space
    Seem so limitless?
     
    #79     Jan 31, 2003

  10. {GROAN}

    Babak, they haven't gotten to you too have they?



    ps - stories like this give a really clear insight into why the vast majority in asia can barely afford a piece of bread, don't they...
     
    #80     Feb 4, 2003