Well here I am again at my favourite watering hole La Femme Facile
having a superb plate of rustic French chicken casserole, (I heartily
recommend it if you are ever in the vicinity) with a bottle of
Pouilly-Fuissé Vers Pouilly, Domaine Cordier Père & Fils, 2000. My
companion this time is my great friend the marine underwriter Peter Van
Clief-Cornish who splits his time between London and New York.
We were unloading Christmas experiences over the bread intro when he
turns the topic to “Unsolicited Advice” or “UA” as he calls it. What we
are referring to is the annoying habit some people have to believe that
they are the Delphic Oracle and therefore have the right to tell you
how to lead your life from folding your underwear to how to
successfully trade.
Before I get into the discussion I must point out an honest opinion at
this moment, I hate these self obsessed, patronising, loud, brash,
cheap suit wearing, lager drinking, cheap jewellery wearing bastads.
For the whole they are a class of person that the world would not miss
if they were rounded up and used as medical experiment lab animals
instead of the poor monkeys they currently use. My grandfather used to
say, “Those that don’t know shout the loudest, whilst those that
do…don’t”
It is, alas very hard in our world of capital markets to avoid these
painted prats so you should always be on guard for the helpful off the
cuff “I’ve been here before..” or “When I made millions I done…”
comments. Let’s face it we all are sponges to soak up true, well
meaning and measured advice – our parents have spent the first 18 years
or so helping to steer us this way. So we are able to spot the true
talent but, when caught up in the moment, there are times perhaps when
the market is biting that as the sweat beads form on the back of the
neck we can be swayed.
Take a moment, as you do when sitting round the Christmas dinner table
and everyone is talking more and more loudly about how they know why we
have a slowing housing market:
“Its due to something called higher Liboring rate” says one numpty who
lives their life on the sofa believing that “they have no right to make
you work longer than the EU stipulates”
Or
“Well it’s due to millions of immigrants” says another muppet.
Remember how you slowly hold your wine glass looking at the liquid
swaying imagining how you could be out on the open road in a Maserati
Grand Sport or a 1950’s Testarossa, can you be bothered to enter the
pit and actually say something. No. If these “experts” were so damn
good why do they turf up in a 15 year old Toyota wearing last years
bargain bin fag ends from BargainShop? And please don’t say they are
eccentric millionaires who do not need to spend money..that might be
right in a few cases but for the majority it is crap.
They need to hear themselves talking in the belief they go home happy
and warm thinking they are the mightiest brain that ever wore a pair of
man made soles.
Lets bring this back to the dealing floor, trust your knowledge, if you
require clarification then seek out your trusted mate who you have
known a long time and talks truths. What you want is the voice on the
phone that can cut through the bullshit bingo and deliver a one liner.
So where did we end up by the coffees at the end of the meal? Life can
appear to be full of noise and waving arms, but if you hold firm and
close your ears you can find a true path, which might or might not work
but at least it was based of logic.
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