Is intelligence important for trading?

vladiator · Dec 2, 2002

Quote from metooxx:

To find a new edge ...

Exactly!

So it does matter when it comes to finding such things, right?

I know my opinion won't be a popular one here, but I personally believe that PhD has been the best investment for me. I understand things I never knew existed and I do believe a lot of what I have learned gives me an edge - especially when it comes to testing the robustness of strategies. While I agree that in many cases trading itself and TA may be more art than science, when it comes to larger sums of money, I think the investors want more hard-core science

If the question was about intelligence - I think the more the better for any endeavor. The horsepower example was a good one.
If it was about education, I think that it helps a lot. It may not be necessary in some cases and it certainly is not sufficient, but I think it is a big catalyst if harnessed appropirately.
Besides, it sure helps raising capital...

vladiator · Dec 2, 2002

Quote from qdz:

No, this is no absolute correlation. But I have to admit that I must be smarter than 50.001% of all traders.

99% of people think they are

Ditch · Dec 2, 2002

Quote from 0008:

If everyone thinks IQ isn't so important, why the wall street still recruits quantum physicists ? Are they crazy?

Did you ever get some sound advice from 'Wall Street"?

metooxx · Dec 2, 2002

Quote from vladiator:

Exactly! So it does matter when it comes to finding such things, right? I know my opinion won't be a popular one here, but I personally believe that PhD has been the best investment for me. I understand things I never knew existed and I do believe a lot of what I have learned gives me an edge - especially when it comes to testing the robustness of strategies. While I agree that in many cases trading itself and TA may be more art than science, when it comes to larger sums of money, I think the investors want more hard-core science
If the question was about intelligence - I think the more the better for any endeavor. The horsepower example was a good one.
If it was about education, I think that it helps a lot. It may not be necessary in some cases and it certainly is not sufficient, but I think it is a big catalyst if harnessed appropirately.
Besides, it sure helps raising capital...

Identifying and trading are really seperate pursuits ...

cheeks · Dec 2, 2002

Quote from 0008:

Is intelligence really important for trading?

No.

If it was, I would be in a lot of trouble!

wally_ · Dec 2, 2002

Quote from metooxx:

To find a new edge ...

Good point, incidentally, that's what I was trained in, too...

Trading is a simple thing, using too much intelligence can only complicate it. But intelligence is useful for finding new strategies.

LongShot · Dec 2, 2002

intelligence: the ability to learn and understand.

now, please tell me how too much of this can be a bad thing?

DUH!

inandlong · Dec 2, 2002

You have to be smart enough to develop a profitable method suitable for you. And you have to be smart enough to stick to your rules and make consistent decisions where the rules require them.

I suspect if you are smart enough to find your way to EliteTrader via the internet on a personal computer then you are smart enough to trade.

After all, this ain't rocket science. Well, what metooxx does is like rocket science, but other than that, this ain't rocket science.

wally_ · Dec 2, 2002

Quote from LongShot:

intelligence: the ability to learn and understand.

now, please tell me how too much of this can be a bad thing?

DUH!

Because at some point you have to stop learning (meaning analyzing) and start doing, meaning trading. So at some point these things need to get divorced, otherwise analyzing will interfere with doing.

cheeks · Dec 2, 2002

Quote from LongShot:

intelligence: the ability to learn and understand.

now, please tell me how too much of this can be a bad thing?

DUH!

Bright people have one fatal flaw when it comes to trading. They are not use to being wrong.