Human Emotions Usually Supersede Rational Thought
Listening to The With Whom We Interact
Human emotions usually supersede rational thought. This is normal and natural. In most conversations and interactions between humans, the basic need to impress others with our intelligence or with our wit, supersedes other emotions.
Our basic tendency is carry our part of the conversation rather than concentrate on listening to what is being offered to us. In spite of this, we usually are able to obtain the views and information of the other party, but to a lesser degree than our effort to assert our own information.
When we converse, we have a greater tendency to offer our own point of view, or aggrandize ourselves, or relate our most interesting gossip, or our most interesting incidents, rather than concentrate on what is being said to us.
There are people who, instead of listening to what is being said to them, are already listening to what they are going to say themselves.
Listening to the Market
A similar tendency relates to the average investor’s view of the market. Common gossip is shared quickly around the world, and the tendency is to spread to others what you have heard. Somehow, humans have this need to appear intelligent, or knowing. It is natural and to be expected.
The problem is, that the listener has a need to aggrandize their own knowledge rather than spending the effort to listen closely and question the speaker.
Why is it, that in most conversations, when a party speaks, it is an offering of that person’s knowledge or experience, rather than a questioning of the other person to gain more knowledge from that other person?
Supposed “truths” therefore have a tendency to spread more easily than rational thought and analysis.
Market Views
We often are asked for an opinion on the price of gold, or junior mining stocks, or the demand for commodities. What is usually being offered, is an opening for someone to express their own opinion. We actually welcome this type of interaction, as our opinions are only that – our opinions. More knowledge and insight is always welcome.
Social Media
In today’s world, the spread of social media has taken on a new and different meaning. We are currently in a craze to inject social media into every aspect of our lives.
The Good of Social Media
The basic good is the ability to almost instantly spread news of events or incidents around the world. Companies lacking service to their customers or treating customers improperly are soon made notorious. Suppressed news now finds a way to become public knowledge quickly.
The Bad of Social Media
Most people live their daily lives without regard to wasting time on making silly or inane comments on subjects of little interest. Yet social media is encouraged after every piece of news or every article or publication or event. Busy people have little time for this. Often uninspired people, or those with too much time to spare, are the contributors. Yet those of that are busier or more productive are expected to waste the time to listen to this barrage of inane and uninformed commentary.
What the reader finds is that most commentary after a public notice of any kind, is juvenile, silly or irrelevant. Yet it provides an outlet for people to attempt to make themselves heard. On occasion there is an informed comment, but usually not.
Instead social media has become the darling of the advertising industry, who have embraced social media to the fullest. Every major company has a dedicated staff tasked to do nothing except social media.
Whether it be Google searches, or Facebook pages, social media is a tool used by our commercially active economy to gain our attention and sell more products. This is an interesting phenomena, and perhaps not a bad thing.
Facebook Advertising
An article in the National Post of May 29, 2012 noted that smart phones are perhaps too smart for advertisers. Because of the limited space on the screen of smart phones, advertisers are not able to get their message across, so the plethora of advertising revenues from the use of these devices is disappointing. Witness the pulling of ads from Facebook by General Motors in the week before the Facebook launch.
We are in an evolution of the social media world. Time will tell the eventual appearance and use.
Social Media is Similar to Teenage Gossip in Many Ways
The tendency of social media is to give a platform to everyone to make their own comments or feelings know, often on a anonymous basis. But it does allow the listener to be on a more even playing field with the speaker.
The views expressed in this blog are opinions only and are not investment advice. Persons investing should seek the advice of a licensed professional to guide them and should not rely on the opinions expressed herein. This blog is not a solicitation for investment and we do not accept unsolicited investment funds.
