Comments on: Irrationality: Hallmark of Greatness?

By: game

game — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 20:05:30 +0000

Thank you very much for your contributions. Flash game

By: My Perspective On Your Perspective | Tony Teegarden | Social Media Blogging | Personal Development

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 03:15:50 +0000

[...] is actually a comment response to a Guest Post at Goodlifezen on the subject, Irrationality: The Hallmark Of Greatness? Reading it first may be helpful. I [...]

By: Guri

Guri — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 06:06:40 +0000

Connect your heart with your imagination and always “Just have a little faith”. Wheel of time keeps rotating, stress – tension in mind ain’t good for anything. Always do what your heart says as it has the power of understanding irrationality.

Great Article Kent.

By: Farouk

Farouk — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:48:01 +0000

very nice post, i also love Einstein’s quote

By: Kent @ The Financial Philosopher

Kent @ The Financial Philosopher — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 15:16:50 +0000

@Priya: Yes! I believe intuition is more important than science, especially for the individual. As Plato taught, one can “know” things without first experiencing them. Intuition most commonly appears irrational from the perspective of the crowd.

@Jess: I do love that Choprah quote as well. With regard to you and your father’s views of investing, and similar to my reply to Priya (above), an individual can act rationally but this act appears irrational to the crowd. Your example with investing is the same. Buying stocks when others (the crowd) is fearful is rational but it appears irrational to the crowd. I’ve made the most money for myself (and for clients) during periods like late 2008 and early 2009 when we put more money into stocks while others were panicking.

@ Richard: If you like Maslow, I highly recommend “Motivation and Personality, 3rd ed” by him. His ideas of self-actualization are revolutionary and timeless. On the subject of intuition, much of Maslow’s observations were not purely “scientific” but intuitive.

Thanks to all for the wonderful comments and for adding to the conversation…

Kent @ The Financial Philosopher
.-= Kent @ The Financial Philosopher´s last blog ..Some New (& Existing) Things You Might Like to Know About This Blog =-.

By: Richard | RichardShelmerdine.com

Richard | RichardShelmerdine.com — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 09:29:54 +0000

Intuition is great! I loved this post too and the Abraham Maslow quote. .-= Richard | RichardShelmerdine.com´s last blog ..Lessons From a Month of Meditation =-.

By: Jess @OpenlyBalanced

Jess @OpenlyBalanced — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:53:25 +0000

Wonderful post! I particularly love the Deepak Choprah quote about the importance of shedding the burdens of judgment. It is something that does not come naturally for me, but which I strive to practice on a daily basis. I think that letting go of the fear in our hearts and allowing ourselves to explore new territory, both internally and externally, is such a rewarding way to live.

However, I do have to comment that my father (an investor) would argue that it is a rational behavior is to invest when the rest of the herd is fearful, so long as other market signals indicate the investment is sound. It is the herd’s fear-based behavior that is irrational – many people invest with their emotions and not their rational mind.
.-= Jess @OpenlyBalanced´s last blog ..Transition: An Introduction =-.

By: Priya Shah

Priya Shah — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:46:53 +0000

Beautiful post! Intuition might sound irrational, but it's our best guide to living our best life than rationalizing away either growth or danger. .-= Priya Shah´s last blog ..Guest Article: Authentic Relationships =-.

By: Kent @ The Financial Philosopher

Kent @ The Financial Philosopher — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:05:18 +0000

@ Christopher: Yes! As one of my favorite philosophers, Soren Kierkegaard, said: “The crowd is untruth.” What is irrational for others need not be an imprudent pursuit for the individual…

@ Tony: I like how you said, “many people have irrational fears that keep them in their comfort zone.” Irrational fears can be mistaken for “rational behavior.” In hind sight, irrational behavior is rationalized and what ends up being rational was once looked upon as “irrational,” as many of the great figures I cited have illustrated throughout history.

@ Barry: Thanks! I agree that the simple fact that wisdom has existed for thousands of years illustrating common human behaviors reveals that human behavior simply has not changed — only the environment has changed — and today’s environment is not a healthy one, to say the least, for the human mind!

Also, a special thanks to Mary for the guest post opportunity! I love your blog and your readers! I’ll be offline for a while so please forgive me if I am late to respond to a few comments…

Kent
.-= Kent @ The Financial Philosopher´s last blog ..Some New (& Existing) Things You Might Like to Know About This Blog =-.

By: Barry La Vette

Barry La Vette — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:46:29 +0000

Simply Brilliant post! Thinking how the iChing knew this concept thousands of years ago lets us now know how they knew then the simplicity and power of we all have. Brilliant!