Reply #78: Still, contradictory

[sandnsea]

You started off with posts telling everybody exactly how to invest in the stock market and if people just do it the way you tell them to, then they won't have any problems. And if people do have problems, it's because they're stupid and it's their own damn fault.

You twist into contortions to hold on to that idea, while trying to throw out a few bones because I think you realize you were a bit simplistic or overbearing in our original approach. But, you just can't quite say, yeah, I was a bit full of myself there. There really aren't guarantees in the stock market or life, sometimes things really are out of one's control. No, you insist that there is a formula that will always work if one isn't stupid or irresponsible.

Even now, when you finally admit most situations are a combination of mistakes and things beyond one's control, you can't let it go at that. You have to add the little caveat, people are responsible for their own actions. Which is right back to the idea that if people have problems, it's their own damned fault.

People are responsible to do the best with what they have. They are not always responsible for the outcome and what they have is not always enough to generate a financially successful outcome. To look only at a supposed failed outcome, and say it's their own damned fault, isn't a fair reflection of whether anybody was stupid or irresponsible or worked hard or anything else.

I'm sure you made as many right decisions before your bankruptcy as you did wrong ones. Just like everybody else. One of the keys to success is interpersonal relationships and getting the best from working relationships. That requires identifying attributes and building on them, not arrogantly telling people they're stupid and it's their own damned fault something didn't work out. I admit, I'm terrible at it, so you don't have to point that out to me either.

Perhaps a better approach would have been, after alot of mistakes, I'm doing such and such and it's working for me so far. If your financial advisor isn't having you do such and such, you might consider finding a new one.