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Outside The Box

Man's mind stretched to a new idea never goes back to its original dimensions - Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr

Every single day, we are bombarded with numerous news articles on the economy, business, stock markets, properties and investment.

While mainstream news is important for us to gain an appreciation of what is happening in the global economy today, it is equally important to get a proper and balanced perspective by examining alternative or contrarian views that the mainstream media do not and would not report.

Like any good debate or discussion, there must be both a supporting and opposing view to any subject or statement. By understanding differing views of an issue, we can make an informed, honest and reasonable conclusion based on facts.

So what is a contrarian view and why is it important?

A contrarian is a person with a preference for taking a position, view or action opposed to that of the majority, often contradicting prevailing, conventional and widely accepted standards.

A contrarian do not simply accept or follow the mainstream views or news but will examine all the available facts and information about a particular issue in order to make an independent and educated judgment. They often go against the grain of public opinion; they think outside the restrictive square and do not blindly embrace the herd mentality or pursue public conformity.

Because contrarians often disagree with mainstream views and can support their alternative opinions with solid facts and figures, they inadvertently contradict, offend and in some cases embarrass economists, government officials, business and finance observers, reporters and journalists. Some contrarians are contemptuously dismissed and labeled unfairly as scaremongers, prophets of doom and gloom, promoter of conspiracy theories and liars.

But are contrarians wrong in the way they think?

The most famous and public contrarian would be Warren Buffett, one of the richest man in the world. He openly admits that he does not pay much attention to the news coming out of Wall Street but does his own research and analysis before he invests in any business or stocks.

Some of Warren Buffett’s contrarian advice will make the investment community cringe and shake their heads in dismay but is his advice wrong because it goes against conventional thinking?

Here are some advices he had given publicly:

Do not follow the crowd, Ignore the market, the crowd and its fashions
Be fearful when others are greedy and be greedy when others are fearful
Do not rely on outside analysis. Do your own research and do it thoroughly
Do not put your eggs in many baskets, Put all your eggs in one basket and proceed to watch that basket
Diversification makes little sense if you know what you are doing

Whose advice would you trust and believe in more?

One of the world’s richest multibillionaire who has an unbelievable track record over many decades with proven success in the stock market or someone in a job who writes investment articles for the media?

I know who I choose to believe.

I firmly believe that contrarian views are as important as mainstream views because it makes us think and help us separate facts from opinions. It is more important to differentiate between what is right from what is wrong rather than who is right and who is wrong.

YOU get to decide what is right or what is wrong

Contrarian thinking or thinking outside the box requires not only an open, slightly skeptical and inquisitive mind; it also requires a logical, analytical and disciplined mind.

As Aristotle put it so eloquently, “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it”.

Outside the Box is a collection of unique, unusual and contrarian news articles from economic and financial experts around the world.

These articles offer a unique perspective into the minds of contrarians and how they view the current issues today. I encourage you to read some of the articles; form your own judgment and make your own decision based on the facts and reasoning presented.

How you receive, dissect and digest this information will depend on your level of financial competence and understanding. Every individual is different and opinions will vary. There is no right or wrong in accepting or dismissing what you read. What you believe is a personal decision that only you can make.

I encourage, support and respect healthy feedback and I would love to hear YOUR views and opinion to these articles.

Link to Articles