> If one thinks he is a savant and that everyone else is idiots, he should do the opposite strategy. Yes, fair enough. You've suggested what's called the contr

> If one thinks he is a savant and that everyone else is idiots, he should do the opposite strategy. Yes, fair enough. You've suggested what's called the contrarian strategy -- find out what people are doing and do the opposite. Sometimes effective, sometimes not. But the real players (and the people I can't stand) are those who take some kind of position in a stock, then either tout or disparage a company or stock without revealing that only they stand to benefit from the advice they're giving out, and the audience only stands to lose by following it. That's what makes me crazy about most people who offer stock or investment advice -- they're not usually obliged to reveal any conflict of interest that may exist. > Only amateurs scrutinize individual stocks in this way. Very true. My only advice is meta-advice -- invest in an index fund, not individual stocks, then sit on your investment. In other words, don't play the market at all, just ride the long-term pattern of equities growth. Avoid thinking you can outsmart all the day traders and insiders. More here: http://arachnoid.com/equities_myths http://arachnoid.com/equities_myths