The price of a stock reflects the current valuation of a company based on its anticipated future performance. If the future looks uncertain, the current price is likely to fall; if it appears promising, it will rise. In other words, the company’s outlook on the future is mirrored in the current stock price. Investing in stocks essentially means buying and selling future values while trading at present prices. However, the reason I can’t buy the stock now is that I’m afraid its price will drop in the future. Conversely, if I cannot sell the stock when the price decreases, I struggle to do so because the loss caused by the expectation that the stock might increase, or by the missed timing for the sale, is too significant; this can overwhelm me with fear. Thus, stock prices are most readily influenced by the weight of ‘fear rather than desire.’ Even though the current stock price reflects future value, it often happens that this future value is not trusted. When we say that time is money,...
Feeling fear often can lead someone with a strong will to try to compensate for their weaknesses or prevent dangers. However, if that person is also smart, they may easily overcompensate. In worldly affairs, change and wealth arise from taking action, not merely from thought. If people experience a lot of fear and are both strong-willed and intelligent, they are more likely to become poor. This happens because they might believe they can achieve their goals through only thinking instead of taking further action. What these individuals often overlook is the value of time, which money cannot buy. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”