Reason, Meet Emotion

And The Moneyball Method

Because all good systems begin at the beginning, Part I of The Moneyball Method deals with economic philosophy. And to break that down, the book sets up five choices that seem to conflict but are in fact compatible and complementary.

Known as false dichotomies, they are theory vs. practice, reason vs. emotion, faith vs. force, moral vs. practical and fact vs. value. This brief essay will highlight reason vs. emotion.

Reason

Reason is a uniquely human trait and an absolute necessity for man’s survival. Every other life form is programmed with automated responses that guide biological systems and have one purpose: sustaining life. But for people, those are woefully inadequate, but we have perceptual and cognitive powers with amazing potential. However, it is volitional. You must decide to think, formulate ideas, learn from experience and develop principles for the long-run – or choose to avoid the effort.

On the other hand, emotions are the automated responses of a powerful subconscious mind that are programmed by chosen principles and priorities - or lack of them. And depending on the values we accumulate and our value judgments when experiencing success, opportunity, conflict and failure, those reactions can be rational or irrational.

But complete or perfect knowledge is not possible. Constant learning is necessary for living rationally and reacting positively, especially when long-held beliefs are proven wrong and deserve replacement.

Emotion

Part I of The Moneyball Method identifies many contradictions and fallacies that are common in Western culture today. Not only does it address why money, prices, markets and profits are held in low regard, but how that negativity is spread through various institutions and how it affects investors. Much of that can be traced to the false dichotomy of reason vs. emotion.

When a culture assigns people to the cognitive level of sentient animals destined for chaos, irrational emotions are blamed for inefficient markets. In turn, that demands government intervention to protect us poor, dumb slobs from ourselves. We get things like stimulus spending, education and medical rights, green energy, minimum wage laws, antitrust, tariffs, consumerism, income taxes and lockdowns. In turn, “expert” money management is recommended for all of the complexity.

Moneyball

But for objective investors, all we need is our own free will and the information of prices that flow elegantly throughout free markets. Accordingly, The Moneyball Method is grounded in the principle of controlling what we can control for confidence in a future that we own.

In fact, the introduction to this book’s Introduction is the introduction to the Serenity Prayer. Why? Because the healthy connection for reason and emotion is reality and the courage to think. To further prove this theory, the next essay will address the faith vs. force dichotomy.

https://www.amazon.com/Moneyball-Method-Middle-Class-Manifesto-Objective/dp/1696009111/