> The hardest part is getting it together mentally to slowly but efficiently move away. Panic is a trouble catalyst -- just like in the stock market
MrB,
How true. Being cool under attack is what separates the men from the boys, and the women from the girls.
I grew up in a small central Texas town where stray dogs roamed the neighborhood. As a kid, I learned from my Dad how to best handle a mean dog.
One day a bad dog came running toward us. My Dad lowered his head down toward the ground, stared straight ahead at the dog, and with one foot scratched the ground as if to gain traction. At the same time, with his throwing arm he acted like he was picking up a rock - all the while - making big noises. He then all of a sudden lunged at the dog as if he were throwing a high-speed fast ball at the dog. Much like a pitcher trying to pick off a runner at first. The dog turned tail and ran off - exactly like a runner heading back to first base.
It was all a bluff, of course, but it worked. As a kid, I was really impressed (and still am, BTW) and I never forgot the lesson my Dad taught me. The same antics have worked for me on numerous occasions since then, especially with stray dogs.
A bluff is a useful tactic in many situations - as in the above example - and in poker. But my experience has been that the stock market can't be so easily bluffed. The best one can do, I think, is to remain calm, and not panic in the face of a negative stock-market encounter. For as you say, "panic is a trouble catalyst"!
Ice |
