Wrought Insights - March 5, 2022

In This Edition: Don't Sell Hope Short; Support for Ukrainian Refugees; Want to Be Both Happier and Smarter?

Don’t Sell Hope Short

I have followed Jason Zweig of the Wall Street Journal for a long time. His recent article struck me in particular and the highlights are worth sharing with you.

Overall, investors seem to have decided that the war won't do lasting severe damage to the global economy; among S&P 500 companies, only 1% of revenues stem from Russia and Ukraine. And the disruptions from the war, many believe, will make the Federal Reserve less inclined to raise interest rates sharply at its March meeting.

All this could change if the war drags on, worsens or widens to more countries. Anyone who claims to be able to predict what's going to happen next is either a liar or a fool. I am pretty sure of one thing, though. I don't know how much worse things might get first, but hope will eventually be rewarded.

As Jason Zweig wrote in 2003: At heart, "uncertainty" and "investing" are synonyms. In the real world, no one has ever been given the ability to see that a particular time is the best time to buy stocks. Without a saving faith in the future, no one would ever invest at all. To be an investor, you must be a believer in a better tomorrow.

It isn’t about whether you are beating the market, or not, or even if you aren’t sure if you are. Investing success is having enough to meet your own desires. The best way to measure investment success is by having a financial plan and the behavioral discipline that is likely to get you where you want to go. In the end, what matters isn’t crossing the finish line first, but just that you do.

Click to read Jason Zweig’s full story from the Wall Street Journal.

An Outpouring of Support for Ukrainian Refugees and Resistance

It is hard for me to find the right words to describe what I have been feeling the past week when I have been watching war waged on innocent Ukrainians by Russia. Like you, it may be some mixture of shock, disbelief, sadness, anger, and resolve. 

What gives me hope for humanity’s future though is the better angels of our nature. From the heroism and selflessness of individuals, ordinary people just like you and me, who are contributing in their own ways to the outpouring of international support. It has truly been inspiring. 

Ed Caesar writing for The New Yorker has a wonderful profile on a few individuals who are doing what they can.

Want to Be Both Happier and Smarter? 

We all want to be happy in life. It seems obvious that the best way to do that is to have as many positive experiences and as little negative experiences as possible. However, research has shown that experiencing negative emotions (e.g., sadness, anxiety, and stress) can actually improve happiness and may make you smarter too.

Read more from Jeff Haden of Inc.