How necessary are quantitative skills in order to trade profitably?

Quote from illiquid:

I was good at math in high school but got a C in the one and only math course I took in college. Majored in art instead, making sculptures and videos. So I would also say no.

Can one think of trading as an artform, and the markets in terms of form, composition, rhythm, tempo? I believe so. Why? Because the markets are essentially an expression of fear and greed via price and time. Profitable trading, at its core, is all about good timing. Accumulate enough screen time, and one's sense of timing begins to develop into a craft.

If you want a more concrete answer, there are probably a number of other skills far more critical and practical than quantitative. A simple but vital one is memory; the levels of the markets you trade day in, day out, should be ingrained for immediate recall. Another skill inherently necessary is the ability to learn how to learn -- you need to be proactive, fearless, and stubbornly independent in this regard. You cannot learn how to trade through reading books, a manual doesn't exist -- just as there is no manual for how to create a good work of art. You can only put in the time and effort in concentrating on what you see, and over thousands of hours finally develop your own sense of what makes sense.

+1000 -- This was really good, especially in explaining discretionary trading. Someone mentioned backtesting. The results do not always hold up in the real world and also doesn't lend itself to all trading strategies. I also think it's a poor cousin to algo trading. Nothing replaces the time it takes to learn a trade.
 
Quote from J Ski:

Lots of college, BS degree, trade school etc.
My friends say I'm too smart for my own good, whatever that means.
No real wealth.

http://www.ihiresecondaryteachers.com/t-Physics-Teacher-s-Georgia-salary.html



Wife's grandfather, 7th grade education, no book smarts,
owned a huge mill up north that closed as soon as the factories shifted to the Asiatic countries.

http://www.ihiresecondaryteachers.com/t-Physics-Teacher-s-Georgia-salary.html
your numbers are obviously false.

Salary Data for Physics Teacher in Georgia as of August 2011
25th percentile Median 75th percentile
$20,000.00 $20,000.00 $20,800.00

1. the range between 25th and 75th percentile isimpossibly narrow. are you saying that an experienced teacher makes just $800 more than a relatively inexperienced teacher.
these figures were created by some org. with an agenda.

these numbers are prima facie nonsense besides being absurdly low.

here are real numbers.
http://www.teacher-world.com/teacher-salary/georgia.html

Georgia Teacher Salary Information
Getting the right information is the first step toward making an educated decision about your career.
To compete in the modern world, state governments are putting an increasing focus on education. In Georgia, teacher salary has been a topic of conversation in recent elections, and many political candidates agree that paying teachers fairly is a major part of improving the educational system.(1) Beyond campaign promises, though, would-be educators have a lot to be hopeful for with respect to Georgia teacher salaries, given the $400 million that the state was awarded in the Race to the Top grant program.(2)

Not only that, the Georgia Department of Labor reports that Educational Services—including elementary school, middle school and secondary school teachers—is one of the highest demand sectors for 2010-2011 for projected annual job openings.(3) But do the salary numbers reflect this high demand?

Georgia teacher salaries averaged $54,274 during the 2009-2010 school year, according to the National Education Association. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that secondary school teachers in Georgia earned $53,610 on average in 2009. However, your salary will increase depending on your level of experience, graduate-level education such as a master's or doctoral degree, and other factors. Secondary school teachers in the 90th wage percentile, for example, earn $73,480—considerably above the average.

Georgia teacher salaries also vary depending on where you're employed. The following chart contains BLS salary data for five of the largest metropolitan areas in the state:(4)

Atlanta/Sandy Springs/Marietta: $54,880
Augusta/Richmond County: $49,380
Columbus: $50,880
Savannah: $48,220
Athens/Clarke County: $56,510
Don't forget that teachers receive perks over and above their base salary, including retirement benefits, medical and dental insurance, credit union membership and that all-important summer vacation.(5)

you are not very smart for posting obvious baloney.
 
Quote from oldtime:

yeah, or if you don't have thousands of hours to spend, you can just quantify it and backtest it in a few minutes.

It may not make money, but at least you'll be thousands of hours ahead of some half brained trader.

+1
 
Zdregs, to state that I am not so smart, is a bad argument. And then Visaria, states "good one" also equally absurd, that would presuppose that Visaria knows the true salary figures, and in the post, Vasarias merely agrees with you and doesn't post what the true salaries are. Another bad or inconsequential absurd conclusion.
And then to post a similar website link, and to accept the salary information correct does not seem logical either.
So Visaria, you checked zdregs information, before you complimented him on the dismissal and invalidity of my posted link to the salaries?
Admitedly I didn't check the whois information when I posted the salary link.
The whois information of both the link I posted and the one that zdregs posted, may neither be true figures.
Should have called the Dept. of Education before posting the salary figures.

zdregs:
Domain Name: TEACHER-WORLD.COM
Registrar: MONIKER

Registrant [3150333]:
Moniker Privacy Services TEACHER-WORLD.COM@monikerprivacy.net
Moniker Privacy Services
20 SW 27th Ave.
Suite 201
Pompano Beach
FL
33069
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Administrative Contact [3150333]:
Moniker Privacy Services TEACHER-WORLD.COM@monikerprivacy.net
Moniker Privacy Services
20 SW 27th Ave.
Suite 201
Pompano Beach
FL
33069
US
Phone: +1.9549848445
Fax: +1.9549699155

Billing Contact [3150333]:
Moniker Privacy Services TEACHER-WORLD.COM@monikerprivacy.net
Moniker Privacy Services
20 SW 27th Ave.
Suite 201
Pompano Beach
FL
33069
US
Phone: +1.9549848445
Fax: +1.9549699155

Technical Contact [3150333]:
Moniker Privacy Services TEACHER-WORLD.COM@monikerprivacy.net
Moniker Privacy Services
20 SW 27th Ave.
Suite 201
Pompano Beach
FL
33069
US
Phone: +1.9549848445
Fax: +1.9549699155

Domain servers in listed order:

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Mine:

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Administrative Contact:
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Zdregs, to state that I am not so smart, is a bad argument

it is not an argument but a conclusion when someone posts obvious nonsense. to try discredit my info which is perfectly reasonable is to soothe to your hurt ego.
 
If you had understood the point I was illustrating.You didn't. I conclude that you have chosen to misunderstand the post.
On the one hand you have concluded the salary figures I supplied as inaccurate.
This assumes that your salary information is correct then?
How did you verify your figures?
I could easily then conclude that you are an asshole.
But how can I prove this statement? I can't, so then, neither can you, determine if I am smart or dumb. Right?
I am only restating what you have written and I don't know you, so I can't conclude you are an asshole.
Zdreg, to state that I am not so smart, is a personal attack, and not really of any consequence to my post. It was done to establish your status as correct and to negate the point of post.. And then Visaria, states "good one" also equally absurd, that would presuppose that Visaria knows the true salary figures, and in the post, Vasaria merely agrees with you and doesn't post what the true salaries are. Another bad or inconsequential, absurd conclusion.
And then to post a similar website link, and to accept the salary information correct does not seem logical either.
So Visaria, you checked zdreg's information, before you complimented him on the dismissal and invalidity of my posted link to the salaries?
Admitedly I didn't check the whois information when I posted the salary link.
The whois information of both the link I posted and the one that zdreg posted, may neither be true figures.
I have erred.
Should have called the Dept. of Education before posting the salary figures.

zdregs:
Domain Name: TEACHER-WORLD.COM
Registrar: MONIKER

Registrant [3150333]:
Moniker Privacy Services TEACHER-WORLD.COM@monikerprivacy.net
Moniker Privacy Services
20 SW 27th Ave.
Suite 201
Pompano Beach
FL
33069
US

Administrative Contact [3150333]:
Moniker Privacy Services TEACHER-WORLD.COM@monikerprivacy.net
Moniker Privacy Services
20 SW 27th Ave.
Suite 201
Pompano Beach
FL
33069
US
Phone: +1.9549848445
Fax: +1.9549699155

Billing Contact [3150333]:
Moniker Privacy Services TEACHER-WORLD.COM@monikerprivacy.net
Moniker Privacy Services
20 SW 27th Ave.
Suite 201
Pompano Beach
FL
33069
US
Phone: +1.9549848445
Fax: +1.9549699155

Technical Contact [3150333]:
Moniker Privacy Services TEACHER-WORLD.COM@monikerprivacy.net
Moniker Privacy Services
20 SW 27th Ave.
Suite 201
Pompano Beach
FL
33069
US
Phone: +1.9549848445
Fax: +1.9549699155

Domain servers in listed order:

DNS2.NETTICA.COM
DNS4.NETTICA.COM
NS1.DNSPARK.NET
NS5.DNSPARK.NET

Record created on: 2006-08-10 11:43:04.0
Database last updated on: 2010-09-27 17:04:49.673
Domain Expires on: 2015-08-10 11:43:04.0

Registrar: MONIKER ONLINE SERVICES, INC.
Whois Server: whois.moniker.com
Creation Date: 10-AUG-2006
Updated Date: 27-SEP-2010
Expiration Date: 10-AUG-2015

Nameserver: DNS2.NETTICA.COM
Nameserver: DNS4.NETTICA.COM
Nameserver: NS1.DNSPARK.NET
Nameserver: NS5.DNSPARK.NET

Registry Status: clientDeleteProhibited
Registry Status: clientTransferProhibited
Registry Status: clientUpdateProhibited

Mine:

WHOIS search results for: IHIRESECONDARYTEACHERS.COM (Registered)
Is this your
domain?
Add hosting, email and more.

Want to buy
this domain?
Get it with our Domain Buy service.
What is a Premium Domain Name?
Premium Domain names are now more valuable then typical domain names because they are based on common words and phrases. GoDaddy.com does not own these domain names, but is one of the few registrars offering them on behalf of their third-party owners.
=-=-=-=


Domain name: ihiresecondaryteachers.com

Registrant Contact:
Value Asset Leasing, Inc
Domain Administrator ()

Fax:
41 E. All Saints Street
Frederick, MD 21701
US

Administrative Contact:
iHire, LLC
Domain Administrator (domaintechadmin@ihire.com)
1.3016684424
Fax: 1.
41 E. All Saints Street
Frederick, MD 21701
US

Technical Contact:
iHire, LLC
Domain Administrator (domaintechadmin@ihire.com)
1.3016684424
Fax: 1.
41 E. All Saints Street
Frederick, MD 21701
US

Status: Locked

Name Servers:
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ns2.ihire.com

Creation date: 22 Mar 2001 19:46:55
Expiration date: 22 Mar 2018 18:46:00
 
"My friends say I'm too smart for my own good,"
they may be right but don't infer that it makes you smart to begin with. your posts on this thread readily show your capabilities.

as we see u are the one who brought up your smartness.

whatever actions u usually take to pacify your ego do it quickly.
 
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