Have you wondered which one is you when it comes to your investment/trading beliefs?
Zealot and Atheis
A Zealot and an Atheist are on opposite side of the spectrum. But they are very much similar than you think - both their cups are full; and they both think they are right and the other person has some serious issues. They are great talkers.
Common arguments or debates between academic and cantankerous (I learnt this word from reading Garfield) market participants are:\
1. Fundamental versus Technical analysis
2. Investing versus Trading for success
3. Passive indexing versus Active stock picking
4. Buy-and-hold versus Market timing
5. Dollar-cost-average investing versus Lump-sum market timing
6. Price action versus Technical indicators
7. Dividend yields versus Capital gains
8. Astrology versus Dart throwing by monkeys (voodoo or what?)
I personally think it's a case of who shouts the loudest wins!
Both sides can throw the "book" at each other. There's never short of new studies by academia to back them up. Never under-estimate the human ingenuity to selectively data-mine information to back-up a preconceived thesis!
Or they can fight a proxy war by chanting and invoking their respective iconic gurus. My guru more powderful than yours!
Agnostic
An agnostic investor/trader is someone who basically says "Gee, I don't really know. Do tell me more."
He is a listener.
And is humble to admit when he is wrong and switch positions.
He is not interested to be right. He just wants to makes money. Period.
Do not confuse an agnostic with the person who loves sitting on the fence. The person who sits on the fence just sits there. He does nothing.
An agnostic is willing to put money where his opinion is. Strong conviction but no vested positions equals a NATO.
And he does not consider it's blasphemous to to mix a bit of fundamental with technical analysis. To trade around a long term core investment position. To have both long and short positions at the same time, etc.
Different seasons; different investing/trading styles.
Singapore Man of Leisure (welcome to my blog; just google it!)
