Friday, January 11, 2008
The Art of Contrary Thinking - You Need to know it to Trade Successfully!
The fine fine fine art of contrary thought is one of the most powerful tools a bargainer can use, and is a trait with which all true great bargainers are familiar.
What is the Art of Contrary Thinking?
The art of contrary thought dwells in preparation your head to ruminate in directions opposite to general populace opinions; but basing your sentiment in the visible light of current events and human behaviour.
Humphrey Neills book, "the art of contrary thinking, the best known work on the subject, is based on the simple yet powerful thought that:
"When everybody believes alike, everybody is likely to be wrong"
Why Contrary Trading Works
By spotting states of affairs when the general agreement is either extremely bullish or bearish, then a tendency change is imminent, as it is likely the emotions of greed and fearfulness have got got pushed terms too far away from true value.
This is apparent in such as events as the 1987 stock market crash.
Here we have a short-term, self-fulfilling prophecy. When the change occurred, everyone changed his or her head at once, causing a huge move.
Of course, if you can step aside from the crowd and take a reverse position at these turning points you can do large profits.
Why Contrary Thinking will always be Valid
While Humphrey Neil's work, "the fine art of contrary thinking, (published in 1954), is the most celebrated book on the subject, there existed a century earlier a book on contrary thinking.
Charles MacKays book, "Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Lunacy of Crowds, (published in 1854), covered three of import financial crashes:
he tulip mania, the Mississippi River madness, and the South sea bubble. He reflected upon how investors always pushed terms too far when caught in a consensus:
"Men, it have been well said, believe in herds; it will be seen that they travel huffy in herds, while they only retrieve their senses slowly, and one by one."
It is clear that to win in trading you need to believe independently of the bulk at of import market turning points.
Becoming a Contrary Trader
Gann was one of the top bargainers and traded in the early 20th century. He realized that human nature would always intend that you had to believe independently of the crowd to succeed.
We cannot flight it (emotion). In the future, it will cause another terror in stocks. When it comes, both bargainers and investors will sell stocks, as usual, after it is too late, or inch the latter stages of a bear market.
He was aware that human nature was changeless and influenced the bulk of traders:
Therefore, in order to do a success, the bargainer must move in a manner to defeat the weak points that have got caused the destroy of others
How to Predict a Major Change
Gann was not just a writer; he was a successful bargainer and had an extraordinary record of achievement in the stock market, for example:
Gann used to print a prognosis for the following year. In 1928 he published a prognosis which predicted the day of the month of the September 1929 United States Stock Market High, and that a Black Friday would occur, a twelvemonth in advance of the existent events.
In 1932, he also recommended purchasing pillory at the all clip low in the Dow in June and July.
Gann was one of the most successful stock market investors ever, and developed a strategy to put him apart constitute the crowd, and simply allow market action bespeak where terms were going.
