I was having my breakfast at the hawker centre this morning when I overheard an interesting banter between a quite youthful dressing "ah ma" with her granddaughter and another man in his late 60s at the next table.
The senior man is single and was lamenting on his singlehood; while the ah ma was telling him she regretted marrying and its much better to be single...
It was kinda fun until I noticed the poor granddaughter sitting all quiet and staring at her food with a forlorn face...
Do not underestimate young children. They understand a lot more than we think! Poor girl must be thinking of the "squabbles" at her ah ma's home...
You know how it is.
If you marriage is blissful, children obedient and doing well, you would pity me on my singlehood. Each time we meet, you never fail to coax me to find some woman and get married already!
But if your marriage is on the rocks, and children just drain you out in frustrations, you would envy my "freedom" and praise me for my "wise" lifestyle decision...
In the investing arena, if you are lucky, you would get the same bipolar well-intentioned advice from people around you.
We'll leave out those vested interest "advices" (remember to treat them as sales pitches) as they need you to stay invested so they can continue to generate commissions and charge you fees.
One group will be those "investors" who just happen to start their investing journeys in a bull market. They have never experienced a 50% loss at portfolio level yet. Since all they ever knew is making money year after year, of course they would want to share the "good news" with you!
Just invest lah! Anyone can do it!
The other group are those "unlucky" investors who went into the market near the market top and are still nursing their bruising losses... Some may have capitulated and sold at huge losses, while some maybe still wishing and hoping the market will recover so they can breakeven and recover their capital back...I'm a long term investor; surely one day I'll get all my money back!? They are no longer looking for compounded returns...
Investing not easy. Not everyone can make it.
Don't be a piece of white paper
If you are able to ascertain the perspective the person is speaking from, its the first step towards thinking for yourself.
But that's not enough.
Get yourself educated so you can form your own opinion. This way, other people's ink will not be able to influence you so easily. Only you can write on your own paper.
When people tell you to get invested, you of course agree politely. In your heart, you smile knowingly that buying winter clothes in winter is not the same as buying winter clothes during summer...
And when people lament on their disastrous investment losses, how market is bad and you should stay the hell clear, you nod sympathetically. But once you reach home, you put in your queue orders to take advantage of those who are capitulating at soul breaking prices to you...
You understand the essence of "Buy low; sell high".
Insultingly simple and obvious; but it may take 10,000 hours or trades to master. Wink.
Singapore Man of Leisure (welcome to my blog; just google it!)
