Thursday 26 July 2012

The elephant keeps walking while the dogs keep barking


I first came across this phrase when Suzie Orman (she also borrowed it with pride too) used it to explain how she feels when under “attack” by other financial commenters and bloggers.

Let them have their 10 minutes of “fame” Suzie would say. What a cool lady!

If you scan the media today, you can see lots of stone throwing at people who are famous; more popular; richer; stronger; in an authoritative position; and at a higher social standing than us.

Although I applaud the retaliatory actions of Xiaxue (you go girl!), Suzie’s respond struck a stronger chord with me.

This post is an inspiration from a conversation with a fellow blogger. Stand tall and keep walking!




There’s another angle to this phrase.

And that’s to remind us to keep walking towards our destination despite the many distractions we may encounter along the way.

For example:

If you want to save $100,000 for the 20% deposit for your first home, rest assured there will be lots of sirens of the sea to lure you off your goal.

Special low low interest for car loans! 

Psst! Come invest your money in my scheme. Sure win one!

Let’s travel first class and in style! Don’t worry, spend now worry later. It’s priceless!


Keep walking! Let's all be Johnny Walker ;)



33 comments:

  1. This is so true. I realised that criticisms (towards the government) of late have bordered on unreasonableness. It's one thing to criticise 'incorrect' or 'unpopular' moves but another thing to do so with circumspective objectivity. It has become the new meme to criticise anything related to the dominating party. Those who would air their views (no matter whether they are correct eventually) deserve respect but not those who do so with a nefarious intent. I only recently blogged a satire entry on this as well.

    Blackjack

    ReplyDelete
  2. To add on, I like this phrase a lot but would probably 'steal with pride'? and change the doggie part. Dogs are my favourite animals haha!

    Blackjack

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    Replies
    1. Blackjack,

      Make the phrase your own! Adapt with pride boleh too!

      We have dog lovers and cat lovers here. Hmm, must add to my mental note: be sensitive about making jokes on dogs and cats in future.

      LOL!

      Delete
  3. Hi SMOL,

    I came, I read, I smiled. Thanks for the little nudge. :)

    However, thin ice here... Elephants walking on thin ice is very dangerous. Ice sure to break. ;p

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AK,

      Allo allo. Talking about African and Thai elephants here.

      Not the Ice Age Mammoths - they extinct liao.

      Oh! You talking in metaphor to me!?

      Ah! Sometimes we need to walk on the knife's edge to feel alive!

      Delete
    2. Aiyoh, allo allo indeed.

      "Listen very carefully, I will say this only once"...

      I wonder if the mammoths went extinct because they experimented with walking on thin ice to feel alive... ;p

      Talking about "Allo allo", whenever caught by his wife for embracing one of the sexy waitresses, Rene would say with great indignation : "Why you stupid woman! Can't you see that this poor girl is in distress?!" To that, his wife would apologise and leave them alone, feeling bad about herself.

      I wonder if this strategem would work in real life... ;p

      Delete
    3. work work!

      haha, love this show, try on my wife once and kana slap, even though i was just joking!

      Delete
    4. AK,

      Rene's my main man!

      I would love to try this on my woman one day: "You stupid woman! Can't you see I am giving this poor girl the kiss of life (mouth on mouth) and keeping her warm (hands roaming all over)?"

      Now why real life never so fun?

      Delete
    5. coconut,

      You jokingly embraced another woman and your wife caught you red handed har? Otherwise, how to jokingly use that line on your wife? ;p

      Hard slap or not?

      Kena slapped already still say "work, work". You no good one... ;p

      Delete
    6. SMOL,

      Er, you don't try, you don't know. Then again, some things in life, cannot try one... Today's weather not bad hor?

      Delete
    7. AK,

      I think I better follow the Army's wisdom:

      We can do whatever we want; just don't get caught!

      Delete
    8. no la AK, i was just kidding. but i do used a lot of bad words, kind of used to it. and she does scold me when i do that.

      don't worry, no voilent.

      Delete
  4. smol, 2 months of trading and hard work for nothing! feeling like catching fish with bare hand.

    if next month still like that, i'm going for a long break liao.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey coconut,

      If not for my regular dividends and income distributions, I would have nothing to show either... Mr. Market is being perverse recently...

      Delete
    2. AK and coconut,

      It's a difficult month this July.

      Hard to play when bad news is good news (more Fed easing), while good news is bad news!?

      Now, isn't it sweet? An investor having the same challenges as a trader!

      Ebony and ivory, living together in perfect harmony :)

      Delete
  5. coconut,

    Off topic, but need to share I understand better what you meant when you say you prefer the right trade over a profitable trade.

    Last night I covered my SIMSCI short at 445.5 when the poor housing numbers came out.

    Although I make more money in the EUR/SGD short; but it was more luck than anything else. I feel "hollow" on this trade.

    But this SIMSCI short felt different! I didn't take profit on Monday since the momentum was strong and I thought there will be further follow through on the next days. (At least it worked during May)

    The price action on Tuesday and Wednesday gave me pause as STI held up much better than the Nikkei and Hang Seng $$@@#&!

    So last night I decided to get out with a tiny 3.7 index point profit as I believe STI will reverse on me today.

    Even if it's a loss I would have taken it! My mind just flipped naturally with no emotion.

    I did the right thing (at least to me); although the trade did not perform as what I expected.

    Is this similar to what you say: "When feel like resting rest?"


    Please put my heart at rest.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ya, today i did a lot of right trade, which is cutting losses. but i also took some profit (on the long side) to cover part of the losses, so they are also right trade, in fact thats the only trades that i can do for today, $$@@#&!

      the market did not perform to your expectation but you did exactly as what you want to do, that's brilient. you did not let the profit (or loss) affacting your decision as your original short no longer valid, thats another plus.

      no one can tell you how you should trade or where to take profit, only your heart can tell. usually, if you feel comfortable and right, thats the right trade.

      wahooo, market closing soon!!!!

      Delete
    2. so its not the winning and losing per se (don't know use the right word or not) that determine right or wrong trade, it is how peaceful and comfortable you feel about it, at the beginning, during and after the trade.

      a trader's job number 1 is to find peace (balance) in a chaotic market place while trading while the beginner try to find money in the market place.

      your feeling will alwways affact your trading, then your trading results in turn will affact your feeling then inturn affacting your trading again, find your balancing point.

      if you feel comfortable (balance) and consistent but still can't make money, then say bye bye to trading.

      Delete
    3. wah! back from dinner and the whole market changed!?

      so after i cut my losses (i prefer to use reduce my positions), i feel more comfortable, i can easily make my next moves be it increase my short again or turn long.

      if i don't cut my positions, immagin i'm in a very defensive and uncomfortable position now, left with little choice as to my next moves.

      position sizing is everything instead of putting all the dead stop loss everywhere. i don't want to get cornered by the market, be it up or down moves. cutting losses is easy to execute.

      does it answer you question???

      Delete
    4. coconut,

      Thanks! It helped a lot!

      Yes, "right" or "wrong" is not the suitable word. It's how we feel. Our balance. That will affect how we trade.
      That's why I record my "mood" during my early days.

      I just felt "right" cutting SIMSCI for a small profit.

      The EUR/SGD was more pure dumb luck. Now the EURO short squeeze has made me look even luckier!!!

      Better a lucky trader than a smart trader ;)

      Delete
    5. I think I'll take a break for a while. Let the next Fed meeting in August pass before I get whip-splashed...

      It's already hard enough to speculate the direction of the market and get the timing right with monthly contract futures; now I have to "guess" the central banks actions...

      Too much to handle for my Pentium II brain...

      I think I'll take some pictures of Singapore next week.

      Delete
  6. most people simply loves to "right" somebody's "wrong" except their own LOL i think "barking dogs seldom bites" fortunately :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. durio,

      Good one! Thank goodness for that!

      Yah hor! If you want to bite, why give advance warning?

      That reminds me of my time in Shanghai. Shanghai men can argue with face red red and neck veins popping; but the Shanghai girls laughingly reassure me they won't fight one.

      There and then, I knew who wear the pants in Shanghai households :)

      Ah... Fond memories of Shanghai girls.

      Delete
    2. in 非诚勿扰 (very funny movie), 葛优specfically requested for no shanghai girls in his 征婚启事 (not too sure if this part is in the movie, but it appear in the book). i think becoz he thinks shanghai girls are too materialistic :P
      anyway he got reprimanded by a shanghai girl eventually :D

      so based on your experience, is it true most of shanghai girls are materialistic?

      Delete
    3. durio,

      Majority of big Asian big city girls are materialistic.

      I have Taipei lady customer advise me not to marry Taipei girls. Same for HK tai tai telling me to choose "simpler" China girls instead.

      Women are their worst enemies I think...

      No, I admire the way the Shanghai girls are able to "make" their men do the marketing, cook, do housework for them willingly.

      Rich or poor it does not matter.

      You can be a MCP, yet you'll be surprised how you'll soon be mopping the floor while they play mahjong in the house!

      I love Shanghai girls. But like cigar, only smoke; never inhale!

      LOL!

      Delete
    4. guess they perfected the art of bamboozle :D

      >> But like cigar, only smoke; never inhale!
      well done! *respect* got tips can share share? ;P

      Delete
    5. durio,

      Get it out of our system early:

      http://singaporemanofleisure.blogspot.sg/2012/03/beware-of-goody-goody-guy.html

      Have fun, but never forget the way home ;)

      Delete
    6. thanks for the link!
      your mid-30s colleague really have my respect!
      her patience finally paid off!
      i wonder if her mindset is inbred or learned (either by experience or some mentors) at later stage in life?

      of coz i believe trader mindset could be learned & cultivated, but it seems some do possess innate ability to perform with ease! :)

      Delete
  7. Exactly! I remember once giving a talk at a scientific conference on a formula I had invented, and I was getting attacked left and right by people who said that I was wrong. Though I didn't think of myself as a tall elephant walking while the "dogs barked", I just kept on going nonetheless. Today, that formula is actually cited in the world's most widely regarded optical engineering software manual. So yeah, go Suzie Orman, SMOL, and all! Let the attackers have their 10 min...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ronian,

      The sweet taste of vindication! You the man!

      We don't need to be tall elephants.

      Sometimes just having an opinion of our own will draw out the "barking dogs" to insist we stay-in-line, don't stick-out, and never forget to do what we are told to do!

      LOL!

      Delete

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