Peer Pressure

One of my wife's brothers got his vaccine shot as soon as he had the chance. His wife got vaccinated as well, and now he's calling my wife pretty much every day, asking her when she's going to get her shot.

Exasperated with her brother, my wife asked me what I made of it, and it occurred to me then that my brother in law isn't calling my wife because of some deep conviction on his side, or because of a genuine concern for my wife's health. Rather, he's calling her because he is himself uncertain about the wisdom in what he's done. What he wants is a confirmation from his sister that he did the right thing. He wants my wife to take the shot so that he can feel the safety that comes from knowing he's not alone.

This is the same psychology that's behind investment advice coming from friends and family, often at parties and family gatherings. The ones insisting that Bitcoin is a great investment are in fact desperately insecure about their decision. They have only a vague understanding of what they've gotten themselves into, and seek to boos their confidence by getting others involved as well. It's the safety in numbers logic of the masses.

Thinking back to when I used to talk passionately about my investments to friends and family, I realize in retrospect that this psychology was what drove me. Now that I'm more secure in my investments, I don't have the same urge to talk about them. I share my opinion with people when they ask, but I no longer push any specific advice. When I feel an urge to think things through, I write my thoughts down on this blog, and leave it at that. Similarly, when I hear people like my son talk passionately about one thing or another, I don't argue for or against what he's saying. I share my overall view and strategy, and leave it at that.

When it comes to big decisions related to our health, financial or otherwise, there's only one way to go about it. We have to think these things through ourselves, and to do this we need an overall strategy. We need to trust in something, and my personal conclusion is that financial decisions are best done based on long term trends, and that lifestyle and health issues are best done in harmony with God, aka nature.

Family