--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB <no_re...@...> wrote: > > Have you ever noticed how some people feel the need > (nay, not just the "need" but the *compulsion*) to > hang onto and "defend" beliefs they have invested > in for years, or decades? It doesn't even seem to > matter whether they *know* that the belief is on > the slippery slide to being exposed as the idiocy > it always was, they hang onto it anyway. > > Tonight I am relating this insight to a an old > English music hall song, and to a quote attributed > to some rich-ass guy whose name I can't remember: > "I made my money in the stock market by always > selling too early." > > Interesting quote, this. The speaker (whoever it > was) is *admitting* that he'd made a bad choice, > and backed a losing proposition.
Not necessarily. For example, let's take Google stock. I think everyone would agree it's a good, solid money-making company. Today's price for a share of Google is about $535.00. But in October of 2007 it was well over $700.00 and by November of 2008 had fallen below $300.00. But what if you had bought Google in August of 2004 when it was under $100? And then sold it in September of 2007 when it was $567.00? Sure, you would have sold it too early because it eventually went up to over $700.00 but you avoided the crash of the stock to when it went below $300.00 So I think it's a great quote you reproduced but I read it entirely differently than you did. And I think the axiom holds true: people make money in the stock market by NOT waiting until the stock eventually and inevitably goes into its bear phase and selling while there is still a profit to be made...even though it was "too early" because he didn't sell at the peak. > How he'd made > money was by realizing this *early*, and getting > out while the getting was still good. > > Others hang onto the stock until it's worthless. > > I don't know if I'm really making a comment on > anything or not here. I'm just rappin'. But it > strikes me that -- in an olfactory sense if not a > financial or spiritual sense -- hanging onto a > belief or a belief system that is past its Use > By date is lot like that old English music hall > song I remembered today, which was about trying > to pass off a gorgonzola cheese that is *way* > past its Use By date. > > The Gorgonzola Cheese Song > by Harry Champion, 1880 > as performed by Robin williamson and his Merry Band > (can't find a full-length audio version...sorry) > > Oh that gorgonzola cheese > It wasn't over-healthy I suppose > Our tom cat fell a corpse upon the mat > When the "niff" went up his nose, > Talk about the flavor > Of the crackling on the pork > Nothing could have been so strong > As the beautiful effluvia that filled the house > When the gorgonzola cheese went wrong. >
