Exactly the point, Supermatt. Wombat had it wrong! But that does...

Exactly the point, Supermatt. Wombat had it wrong! But that does not make him a turncoat.

When I was younger, I traded listed futures and OTC derivatives and currencies from time to time. If one's position is right, you make a juicy profit, and at the end of the year there is a bonus. If one's position proves wrong, one (i.e. the bank) loses money, there won't be cheque at the end of the year. You better reverse your opinion and cut the losses (or the bank cuts one's contract). Happens all the time and can come with sleepless nights.

I think, W B once said: Don't lose money. Don't fall in love with your stock. Confirmation bias is a trap, it is a hard thing to do to reverse your opinion. I find it hard.

To overcome confirmation bias (or other mental biases for that matter), we seek to objectivise our views, find hard data, seek other people's informed viewpoints (and that includes your views as well), post on this forum, etc.

I actually think that there is no ramping up or down here or on the other threads I follow. It is more the expression of joy when a poster is massively in the green (entries like 4 Dollar party or similar), and and exclamation of frustration and anger (entries about legal action against CEO, BOD or ASX etc.) when a position has become a painful liability (losses weren't cut early enough )

Enough of my rambling, ... go out and make money