Does Your Personality Style Affect Your Trading/Investment Decisions?

We would all like to think that we are rational, determinist creatures and base our decisions especially, the ones with monetary outcomes on logic, systems, and intent.

But if that were to be true, then markets should always be in consensus about what is logical and “correct” or at least there shouldn’t be as many types of market participants such as Option sellers, buyers, arbitrageurs, scalpers, bogleheads, dividend hoggers, bottom fishers, WSBers, Theta Wheelers, Delta Dealers, VIXers.

Even in popular culture if you see, the caricature of the “Trader” is troped as that frothing from the mouth, money-minded, contrarian, utterly insufferable type of character. Whereas this is not true at all, we meet different kinds in every tribe.

But then again there is some fire to the smoke, as not just in trading you take any profession or human enterprise and no matter how open-minded you may be, you do have certain behavioral expectations from different tribes. Imagine going to a doctor’s clinic, and find them smoking, and they ask you “So uh… what do you think we should do about your infection ?” , or an Army personnel who has purple hair and runs at the first sound of a gunfire. You get the point. We presume a certain personality out of people who do certain things.

So this brings me to the point, do you think the way you lead your life, or your personality which was formed growing up, plays some role in your trading/investment style at all ? Or do you think you act out of what you have previously learned in the market and personality is non factor regarding what you do with money. Go ahead let us know.

Poll :

  • My Personality plays a major role in my decisions.
  • My Personality plays no role in my decisions.
  • Its a mix of personality and system based decision making for me.

0 voters

2 Likes

Very interesting question @MarginCaller

I think that my personality style determines a lot when it comes to trading. It was only personality in the initial years. But as time passed, I have slowly started adopting various styles that I have picked from fellow traders.

This is one beautiful aspect about trading. No matter how good we think we are, there’s always someone better and that keeps the journey more exciting as we constantly get to learn and imbibe such qualities in our trading.

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Even though I am completely a system based trader, things eventually boil down to personality. The trust in a system, the discipline to follow it are all traits of one’s personality.

How some one trust a system is subjective. Some believe blindly, some see objective data. Some go with the gospel truth and some question and are willing to be a heretic.

Discipline is also subjective. One has to be disciplined in life to be disciplined in trading as well.

Quantum of fear, greed and the psychological responses it creates are all subjective and it affects the trust and discipline so very critical to attain trading success.

2 Likes

Nice.

For me, now when I think, I believe that my personality plays a major role in how I put my money in. The fear, impatience, opportunity miss, all these factors once they kick in, sometimes become a major reason for me to get into a trade. This is true of my personality as well.
Having said that, focusing more on system-based trading is one of my goals.

1 Like

Very intriguing topic indeed @MarginCaller. In my case my lifestyle habits, discipline etc determines my performance in market.

During my initial days, when i used to get up late, lacked discipline, lacked direction - i have erred in the market, Thankfully my capital was low and only with that, i got to taste the corrections.

Later my life turned around when i started Long distance running. It helped me to psychologically endure pain for long duration and become strong within. And my personality, discipline every thing changed because of only one habit.

'Now i trade system ( like i follow a training plan) , Pain of loss ( similar to pain in running) doesn’t bother me, Now I always think that I am here for long term, not for some quick buck ( like long distance runs take hours, sometimes days ). So yes, my habits have infuenced my lifestyle which in turn reflects my trading style.

3 Likes

I agree with you on this, I feel maintaining discipline while trading or deciding before I invest seems to provide good results in the long term.