Moderation. Greed and despair stem from the same root: excessive desire. In investing, profits and losses are unpredictable, and the chance of losing is usually higher than the chance of gaining. It’s natural to want to make big profits with minimal damage, but the truth is that it’s not always possible. Ultimately, a disciplined person stays moderate through both profit and loss. It all requires courage. Temperance fosters consistent investment behavior. Without persistence, achieving great things in any area becomes difficult. It’s not easy, but in investing, only those who can stop and accept gains and losses as they happen are true winners. Greed is simply the seed of downfall. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
Human behavior and psychology are tricky and complex. If you ask someone who prefers short-term gains, “Would you like to get $1,000 now or $1,020 a year from now,” the person will choose the former. However, if you change the question, “Would you like to get $1,000 in 10 years or $1,020 in 11 years,” people will choose the latter. The taking of time and possessiveness are even under the same conditions, they make different choices. These two dominate the human personality. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”