There have been three instances in the three years I've been writing this blog that I've felt shame.
None of these instances had anything to do with trading ideas. I never have remorse about my trading ideas from a moral perspective, since I have no impure motives in mentioning this. I don't make a cent from anyone reading this blog, nor from their gains or losses. I just speak what I see.
But back to the shame.
The first time was when I posted a picture of a Special Olympics contestant crossing the finish line, and I implied he was a bull. Some people thought it was funny, but a man wrote me saying he had adopted a Downs' Syndrome kid and that it was in poor taste. I immediately removed the picture and felt like a heel for the rest of the week.
The second time was when I was really frustrated at the market's unrelenting rise, and I suggested the terrorists should attack to shake things up. I got an email from long-time reader Leisa which set me straight, and I've been on my toes ever since.
The third time was last Monday, when I put up a post on Memorial Day morning about Randy Pausch. I had seen a big ad in the New York Times for his book, and I guess I felt it was unseemly to take a terminal diagnosis and make some cash off of it. In retrospect, my post was insensitive, to say the least.
Although it was a holiday morning, the post instantly got some very negative comments, and it was clear I had said something inappropriate, so I took the post down. Even though probably only a few dozen people had the chance to see it, I felt rotten for the next two days. And I thought if I ignored it, the incident would just disappear.
But I saw the aforementioned book in the store yesterday, and I felt it would be appropriate penance to buy it, read it, and reconsider. So I did that.
I did enjoy the book, and I learned some things from it. But more importantly, it clarified for me how wrong it is to cast judgment out of ignorance. So even though 99% of you reading this post didn't see my original post – – and I risk looking like a schmuck by even bringing it up again – – I wanted to apologize to the handful that did see it for my poor judgment and insensitivity.
I've learned a lot of trading from doing this blog, but I also continue to learn about the proper way one has to conduct himself in a public forum. And so, for that, I appreciate the feedback I got, hard as it was to read.
