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Is Trading FX A Noble Profession?

  • #41
  • Jan 31, 2012 3:29pm Jan 31, 2012 3:29pm
Quoting Pipanator
I would like some people views on it personally I think it is due to the risk management and psychological aspects of it and shows bravery.
do you actually trade for a pfofession? if not why asking asking about somthing you may never do. Better to concentrate on getting there first right?
  • #42
  • Jan 31, 2012 4:17pm Jan 31, 2012 4:17pm
What's a noble profession anyway?

A lot of doctors get into medicine for the money...

Police can be corrupt, and abuse power...

In the US, well before most municipalities took over fire fighting from private fire insurance companies, most fire fighters were part of companies that would happily watch a home burn down if the person wasn't paying their protection premiums....

A noble person, first, makes a noble career. Individual intention is everything.

Do I believe trading (in general) could be a noble profession? Sure. So long as you're trading with willing market participants who want to do business with you at the current fair market price. It's no different than merchants trading goods between market centres where a profit can be made.. it's just done faster these days and I don't have to travel twelve thousand kilometers by ship to trade with someone overseas.

Are there non-noble traders? Absolutely.
FXGears.com
  • #43
  • Jan 31, 2012 8:02pm Jan 31, 2012 8:02pm
@ smittens4212

I agree, but that's ignoring the question of whether you believe trading to be a noble occupation. I'm sure there are lots of drug dealers, pimps, warlords, and other various nefarious occupations who enjoy what they do and make a lot of money from it (and don't care what people think, to boot!)

I don't care whether it is noble or not (to you). Why did you bring up criminal jobs? Is Forex illegal in your state?

I don't think I've seen anyone here say that being a professional trader (of any sort, whether it's for a firm or independent) is not a respectable career. Then again, the question isn't whether trading is respectable, it's whether trading is noble. Working as a bank teller may be respectable, but there's nothing particularly noble about it.

I am not sure what you are trying to achieve here. All these noble jobs argument is subjective. I don't care for subjective argument.

You said there is nothing noble about being a bank teller? Even a garbage collector shouldn't care whether what people think about him or his job. He is doing people a service by collecting rubbish for low earning. However, it is an important job. What would your street be like without people collecting rubbish? To me, every legal job the government has to offer is noble. The people who perform these jobs contribute to the well being of a society. They should be proud of who they are and their job. This is my idea of true nobility.
'For the market to work, it needs people who think that they can beat it.'
  • #44
  • Jan 31, 2012 8:43pm Jan 31, 2012 8:43pm
I don't believe that trading is by itself noble. But like a few pointed out already, you can do noble things with your money. And if trading serves as the vehicle for making those noble things a reality, then more power to it. Like CindyXXXX said, I don't care if anyone, family and friends included, think it's a bad way to make money, or that you don't contribute to society by trading, because if you have lots of money, you can contribute in much bigger ways. All anyone contributes to in most jobs is lining your boss's pockets, unless you're an ER doc, firefighter, etc. Besides, I was an Air Force firefighter. I've already contributed, in the traditional sense. But I do plan on starting a local charity when I get to 7 figures, so I will contribute again. I want to help families in need, young people on the wrong path, and single parents.
Get money, don't let money get you. @kauaiforex
  • #45
  • Jan 31, 2012 8:44pm Jan 31, 2012 8:44pm
Quoting CindyXXXX
there is a job available that I haven't taken for whoever wants it. I don't want it becasue it's simply not worth my time.
lol! thanks?
  • #46
  • Jan 31, 2012 8:48pm Jan 31, 2012 8:48pm
The general people just don't understand how important us traders are.

We provide the price.

That is as noble as it can get. Nobody else wants to provide a price. We take the risk so that the economy can move. We punish misbehaving/underperforming countries/stocks etc.

Without us the world will be in a standstill. I consider that as noble as a policeman is noble.
  • #47
  • Jan 31, 2012 9:10pm Jan 31, 2012 9:10pm
Quoting CindyXXXX
a homies gotta eat... I joke

nah.. in all honesty I find it gets a bad wrap and generally not considered "noble" by the general population as they get up to work in the morning and I make more than they make in their day whilst they're still in the shower. That's gonna piss anybody off, then there's all the bad stuff in the media.

But dam I went through hell to get to this point, I sacrificed the best years of my life, I accept that I add nothing to society but liquidity to the markets (sometimes ) and I guess I pay taxes as well but sh*t...
If you are a professional regardless of field, you should be well respected by people. It implies you are very good at something 'not many' people are good at or trained to perform well in. If you trade and you are consistently successfully, that is something to be proud of, as you belong to the minority of traders who actually make money consistently from the market. Professional traders should be very well respected by all and take pride in that.

If you do feel the need to contribute to the society as a trader. You can consider managing fund for people, train people to trade well, write trade books and so on. You will get additional income for doing all that. There are just so many possible career paths that can be taken from being a trader.
'For the market to work, it needs people who think that they can beat it.'
  • #48
  • Jan 31, 2012 10:20pm Jan 31, 2012 10:20pm
in the end i think it all boils down to personal beliefs and views.

let's say that you are a professional trader, when someone asks you what you do for a living, do you feel ashamed to say you are a trader ? If i were trading full-time, i'd say it with honor. Don't care if other people don't think it's noble. Other people don't help me pay my bills or help me get my brand new Mercedes. As for if i think if it is noble or not, like i said earlier, as long as you provide for your familiy in a legal and unharmful to others way, then i consider it a noble job.

in the end, who gives a f... what someone else thinks ?
Twitter: @forexpokerpro
  • #49
  • Feb 1, 2012 11:11am Feb 1, 2012 11:11am
I'm glad the circle-jerk of nobility has continued with still no one able to apply a valid reason that trading should be considered noble.

What jobs you consider to be noble is definitely subjective, but the definition of noble is not.

So here are the two main arguments thus far...

(1)Trading can provide you with funds that you can use for noble ends, and you will be taxed and are therefore contributing to society.

Irrelevant. Any job can provide you with funds that you can use for noble ends, and any job on the books will also be taxed and contribute to society. This does not make it a noble profession.

(2)You are a 'professional' and work a respected job, you're better than other people who can't do your job.

Irrelevant, again. This implies that any profession is noble, which certainly doesn't fit in with the definition of noble.

Quoting thelws
The general people just don't understand how important us traders are.

We provide the price.

That is as noble as it can get. Nobody else wants to provide a price. We take the risk so that the economy can move. We punish misbehaving/underperforming countries/stocks etc.

Without us the world will be in a standstill. I consider that as noble as a policeman is noble.
Markets don't need speculators to operate. Many would make the argument actually that market speculation is a bad thing, so I don't think you're convincing anyone about this one. It's not like the market for milk would disappear just because there were no traders, nor would the FX market.

Quoting AlastorFate
You said there is nothing noble about being a bank teller? Even a garbage collector shouldn't care whether what people think about him or his job. He is doing people a service by collecting rubbish for low earning. However, it is an important job. What would your street be like without people collecting rubbish? To me, every legal job the government has to offer is noble. The people who perform these jobs contribute to the well being of a society. They should be proud of who they are and their job. This is my idea of true nobility.
OK, now you're on to something. However, by your own statement you've defined trading as not noble. Trading doesn't offer society a required service, nor does it contribute to the well-being of society. See what I did there? Isn't this fun. Now use your own definition above and try to figure in trading as a noble profession... won't happen.

Quoting BBPI_fxtrader
in the end, who gives a f... what someone else thinks ?
Clearly every single person in this thread using any reasoning possible to justify their (potential) job to themselves.

Guys, it's A-OK that trading is not noble. That doesn't make it bad! You don't need to do logical loops and use your own definitions so that you feel better about yourselves.

Quoting Jack_Larkin
What's a noble profession anyway?

A lot of doctors get into medicine for the money...
Médecins Sans Frontières

Quote
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is a secular humanitarian-aid non-governmental organization best known for its projects in war-torn regions and developing countries facing endemic diseases. In 2007 over 26,000, mostly local, doctors, nurses and other medical professionals, logistical experts, water and sanitation engineers and administrators provided medical aid in over 60 countries. Médecins Sans Frontières was created in 1971 by a small group of French doctors and journalists in the aftermath of the Biafra secession, who believed that all people have the right to medical care regardless of race, religion, creed or political affiliation, and that the needs of these people outweigh respect for national borders.

Having the ability to be one of the top earners in the world (doctor), and choosing to forego the comfort of the first world in order to provide medicine for those in war-torn and poverty-stricken areas? Noble. Compare that to sitting in the comfort of your home and office, clicking a few buttons, and making more money in a day than many will see in a year.
  • #50
  • Feb 2, 2012 12:57am Feb 2, 2012 12:57am
I dont care if it is noble or not , as long as my signal providers generate a good profit for me i will consider it as the best profession ever.
  • #51
  • Feb 2, 2012 4:02am Feb 2, 2012 4:02am
Quoting smittens4212
Working as a bank teller may be respectable, but there's nothing particularly noble about it.
You contradicted yourself. You mentioned being a bank teller is not a noble job. And then you agreed with me you need to provide a service to qualify as noble.

Quoting smittens4212
OK, now you're on to something. However, by your own statement you've defined trading as not noble. Trading doesn't offer society a required service, nor does it contribute to the well-being of society. See what I did there? Isn't this fun. Now use your own definition above and try to figure in trading as a noble profession... won't happen.
Read my mentioned possible jobs that could branch out from being a trader.

Quoting AlastorFate
If you do feel the need to contribute to the society as a trader. You can consider managing fund for people, train people to trade well, write trade books and so on. You will get additional income for doing all that. There are just so many possible career paths that can be taken from being a trader.
What's your point? Are you not giving people the right to trade? Are you despising people who trade?
'For the market to work, it needs people who think that they can beat it.'
  • #52
  • Feb 2, 2012 9:05am Feb 2, 2012 9:05am
Quoting AlastorFate
You contradicted yourself. You mentioned being a bank teller is not a noble job. And then you agreed with me you need to provide a service to qualify as noble.
Being a bank teller is not a noble job. Bank tellers do provide a service. Providing a service alone does not qualify as noble (nor did I ever say it did, as then again, any job that provides a service would then qualify as noble). Sanitation, medicine, policing, teaching-- these are services society would self-destruct without. At best you can argue that being a bank teller is more noble than being a trader, but it's still hardly a noble profession and is not considered as such by pretty much anyone except people in this thread trying their hardest to craft a definition of noble that can include trading.


Quoting AlastorFate
Read my mentioned possible jobs that could branch out from being a trader.
Quoting AlastorFate
If you do feel the need to contribute to the society as a trader. You can consider managing fund for people, train people to trade well, write trade books and so on. You will get additional income for doing all that. There are just so many possible career paths that can be taken from being a trader.
Fund manager? Noble? Managing money for the wealthy in order to generate more money for the wealthy? Sure, it provides a service, but noble? HAH!

Training traders? I hardly think training people to do something that is not noble is noble. That doesn't make any sense. If drug dealing (or any occupation you want to throw in here) is not noble, then training people to drug deal is not noble, either.

Quoting AlastorFate
What's your point? Are you not giving people the right to trade? Are you despising people who trade?
I think I've made my point very clear, numerous times. I am not against trading, otherwise why would I be here and actively trading. I have said nothing of the sort about the right of people to trade, nor have I said anything about despising people who trade.

I'm simply telling you that by any standard definition of noble, trading is not a noble occupation, and that this doesn't mean it's bad (I've literally said this at least three times in this thread now), as very few jobs are actually noble.

Your problem is that you are conflating respectable with noble. I understand we all want to think what we do (or want to do) is a noble career path, but it's just simply not when you actually understand what noble means, or compare it to people actually doing noble work (again I'd point to MSF as the perfect example).
  • #53
  • Last Post: Feb 4, 2012 5:18am Feb 4, 2012 5:18am
Quoting smittens4212
Being a bank teller is not a noble job. Bank tellers do provide a service. Providing a service alone does not qualify as noble (nor did I ever say it did, as then again, any job that provides a service would then qualify as noble). Sanitation, medicine, policing, teaching-- these are services society would self-destruct without. At best you can argue that being a bank teller is more noble than being a trader, but it's still hardly a noble profession and is not considered as such by pretty much anyone except people in this thread trying their...

Reality check # 1

Read first post

Quoting Pipanator
I would like some people views on it personally I think it is due to the risk management and psychological aspects of it and shows bravery.
View is defined as an individual and personal perception, judgment, or interpretation; an opinion.

The discussion scope is on people's OPINIONS. OP at least understand the idea whether Forex is noble or not differs from people to people.

Reality check # 2

How many people agree that forex is not noble so far in this thread?
'For the market to work, it needs people who think that they can beat it.'
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