What Is Mass Hysteria? Decoding the Impact of Market Crashes

Mass Hysteria

Unravelling the Mystery: What Is Mass Hysteria and its Impact

Updated May 2023

We shall endeavour to illustrate the notion of mass hysteria by examining the reaction of the Masses to the matter of COVID. If one gazes upon the response, it is mainly akin to the annals of history. When a distinct or peculiar event unfolds, the masses tend to succumb to panic rather than dedicate themselves to the scrutiny of data. The rationale behind our choice of a historical setting is to elucidate the straightforward proposition that those who neglect to glean wisdom from history are fated to endure repetition. Indeed, nary a change had manifested since Pluto penned the Allegory of the Cave.

In the realm of societal dynamics, there exists a peculiar phenomenon – the tendency of the masses to leap before they look. Such is the case we witness here, where the crowd, driven by zeal and blind trust, fails to subject the available data to scrutiny. Had they taken the time to analyze it meticulously, they would have realized that the supposed “experts” they blindly follow are, in reality, nothing more than deceptive charlatans in disguise.

Within the pre-pandemic landscape, we made a prescient observation: central bankers, particularly the Federal Reserve, were gradually driving interest rates towards the zero mark. Just imagine the reaction if the Fed initiated a drastic 150 basis point reduction in interest rates two weeks ago. As history has shown, experts would have swiftly condemned such a move as reckless. However, the present scenario paints a starkly different picture, with those experts now advocating for further action.

It is crucial to discern the underlying ploy at play here. To execute actions that counter the masses’ preferences, one must create a situation that effectively diverts their attention. By offering a solution three times more detrimental than its predecessor, cunning manipulators exploit the desperate yearning for safety that pervades the populace. In their desperation, people willingly embrace any course of action laid before them, regardless of the severe repercussions it may entail.

Notice the ploy here; to do that which the masses abhor, one has to create a situation that distracts their attention. Then offer a solution three times as damaging as the previous one, and in their desperation to seek safety, they will agree to whatever course of action is laid out. Tactical Investor March 25, 2020

Preserving Your Investment Portfolio: Shielding Against the Destructive Impact of Panic

The system will be flooded with so much liquidity that the markets will melt upward when the media reports the data more accurately.  Right now, they talk about the mortality rate without breaking the data down and informing the masses that older individuals are the ones that fall into the high-risk category. Even then, most of them appear to have some other complications already.

Updated mortality rate by age group

http://bit.ly/3aNsmpX

Notice how mild it is for those under 50, but let’s assume it’s 1.3%; no data is provided on whether these individuals had any existing conditions. So far, they are using stats to manipulate the data to suit whatever outcome they want to project onto the masses. A more robust approach (which would be relatively easy) would entail listing any other conditions the patient might have had before becoming infected.

Furthermore, the overall death rate is relatively low when you look at the data from countries with sound health systems. Look at Japan, Germany, Denmark, South Korea, Switzerland, Singapore, Taiwan, etc. The total death rate is well below 1.5 and, in many cases, below one per cent, and that’s accounting for all age groups.  For example, Singapore has zero deaths, Taiwan only has one, and so on.

 An Alternate Reality or a Distorted Reflection of Our World

The media is pushing theories without all the data, and if you read almost all the stories, you will see experts using words such as may, could, and might, but the masses treat these opinions as facts. Try to google the term “Is the Coronavirus from the same family as the flu virus: ”

You won’t find any articles directly answering the question in the top 10 search results. Instead, you will find a plethora of pieces that go on describe how dangerous the new variant of the Coronavirus is. These articles were there before, but now they have been pushed to the bottom pages where no one bothers to look at them.

Narratives are created on the Fly.

The answer is straightforward: yes, it belongs to the same family, but it exhibits a more potent strain. Despite scouring through six pages of search results on Google, I struggled to find a concise explanation solely focusing on the coronavirus’s relation to influenza. Only when I turned to duckduckgo.com did I discover valuable information on the first page? However, I had to scroll down the article to uncover the following details:

According to the CDC, human coronaviruses are relatively common worldwide. There are seven different types, with many of them causing common colds, as explained by infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. However, two more recent types, namely MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV, can potentially cause severe illnesses. . http://bit.ly/2UeuVL5

So why can’t the most popular search engine provide an article in the top 10 results that will answer the question directly? The answer is that high-ranking media sites push many opinion-based articles, replacing articles from lower-ranking sites that would have responded to the question. Most individuals will not sift through data pages looking for the answer; they stop at the first page and usually look at the top results.

The Danger of Mass Hysteria in Investing

This hysteria-based sell-off is producing one of the most significant buying opportunities in decades; more on that later.

The short-term technical analysis cannot identify support levels because we are dealing with madness, so we added the new standard to the anxiety index.  What exacerbates the situation is that there is very little liquidity; look at the bid and ask price on some options. They are unreal, for example, an offer of 1.40 and an ask of 5.00.  This allows a few big players to move the markets in whatever direction.

Factors That Can Help Stabilize The situation

  • The Fed throws the Kitchen and Kitchen sink at this market, unveiling a vast Stimulus package.
  • The press starts to report the news accurately; all they have to do is go to worldmeters.info to get a better take on what is happening.
  • A new rapid detection test has been announced.
  • The US has come up with concrete measures to test many individuals rapidly. This would be seen as good news because the average death rate is 1.39%, considering all groups. This is significantly lower than in China and many other nations.
  • A vaccine works in clinical trials. The FDA is going to approve the usage of this vaccine extremely fast. However, data has to show that it works even with little problems.
  • A treatment that has a 90% cure rate.,

Rational Investing: Staying Calm Amid Mass Hysteria

when you add in stupidity and ineptitude by the elected officials, what should have been a mild situation turned into a nightmare-type scenario.  We are supposedly the most advanced nation on earth, but after the current debacle, one would be hard-pressed to call the US progressive, at least in the medical arena.

We know that a vaccine and a better treatment will be found; it is just a matter of time. As for the press and politicians acting sensibly, that’s a hard call.

This chart from the 1940s clearly illustrates that every so-called crash has proved to be a buying opportunity, and in the long run, bears are always killed, but the same cannot be said of bulls. Hence, when the trend is up, and it is up right now, every strong correction has to be viewed through a bullish lens.

Mass Hysteria is A Contrarian Investor’s Best Friend

Still, the long-term outlook is given, as this crash started on a note of uncertainty, unlike every previous market crash.

“the time to buy is when there’s blood in the streets.” Baron Rothschild

Losing your head in a crisis is a good way to become the crisis.C.J. Redwine

Sooner or later comes a crisis in our affairs, and how we meet it determines our future happiness and success. Since the beginning of time, every form of life has been called upon to meet such crisis.Robert Collier

Successful people recognise crisis as a time for change – from lesser to greater, smaller to bigger.Edwin Louis Cole

It’s not always easy to do what’s not popular, but that’s where you make your money. Buy stocks that look bad to less careful investors and hang on until their real value is recognized. I’ve never bought a stock unless, in my view, it was on sale. Buy on the cannons and sell on the trumpets John Neff

In order to win as a contrarian, you need the right timing and you have to put on a position in the appropriate size. If you do it too small, it’s not meaningful. If you do it too big, you can get wiped out if your timing is slightly off. The process requires courage, commitment and an understanding of your own psychology Michael Steinhardt

Mass Hysteria: More Quotes From Great Minds

I will tell you how to become rich…Be fearful when others are greedy. Be greedy when others are fearful. Warren Buffett

To succeed as a contrarian, you must recognize what the crowd believes, have concrete justification for why the majority is wrong, and have the patience and conviction to stick with what is, by definition, an unpopular bet. Whitney  Tilson

Humans are prone to herd because it is always warmer and safer in the middle of the herd. Indeed, our brains are wired to make us social animals. We feel the pain of social exclusion in the same parts of the brain where we feel real physical pain. So being a contrarian is a little bit like having your arm broken on a regular basis. James Montier

There are many who give advice, but few that offer guidance. Anonymous

Our all-time favourite

To buy when others are despondently selling and to sell when others are euphorically buying takes the greatest courage, but provides the greatest profit. Bull markets are born in pessimism, grow on scepticism, mature on optimism and die on euphoria. The time of maximum pessimism is the best time to buy, and the time of maximum optimism is the best time to sell. If you want to have a better performance than the crowd, you must do things differently from the crowd. Sir John Templeton

Insight into the Future: A Look at the Stock Market’s Outlook

 

We have moved deeper into the madness zone, and neutral sentiment has dropped to levels not seen for years. It is trading at 13, but bullish sentiment, while below its historical average, is still relatively high; it would be ideal to drop below 24. Bearish sentiment continues to trend higher, and that’s a good sign.  As things stand now, we are close to another “mother of all buy signals” that would match 1987 and 2008. Our indicators need to dip slightly lower into the oversold range.

As per our trend indicator, the trend is positive, suggesting that every pullback ranging from mild to wild should be embraced.

Originally disseminated on March 25, 2020, this piece remains in a state of perpetual refinement, with the most recent update having been undertaken in May of 2023.

Other Articles of Interest

which of the following is the biggest pitfall of economic indicators

Which of the Following Is the Biggest Pitfall of Economic Indicators: Analysis

Feb 29, 2024 Which of the following is the biggest pitfall of economic indicators? Before diving into the core of ...
Smart Investing Unveiled: Perception Manipulation and Sentiment Indicator

Perception Manipulation: Mastering the Market with Strategic Insight

s Perception Manipulation & Investing: Sentiment Indicators Unveiled Updated Feb 24, 2024 By the ripe age of 18, the average ...
The Contrarian Outlook - Unleashing Success

Contrarian Outlook: A Pathway to Breakthrough or Breakdown

Contrarian Outlook: Balancing the Scale of Success and Risk Updated Feb 24, 20234 Introduction Adopting a Contrarian Outlook could be ...
Market Uncertainty: the emotion that separates traders from speculators

Market Uncertainty: A Challenge for Investors

Feb 22, 2024 Discerning the Hazards of Market Uncertainty with Poise Uncertainty, a state of being unsure or not knowing, ...
Stock market basics for beginners: do or die

Stock market basics for beginners: Adapt or Die

Stock market basics for beginners Updated Feb 22, 2024 A Contrarian Investor does not follow the Herd Sol Palha  Investing ...
Why Covered Calls are a Bad Strategy

The Unfortunate Truth: Why Covered Calls are a Bad Strategy

Feb 21, 2024 INTRODUCTION Covered calls have emerged as a favoured choice among the myriad methods, glittering with the illusion ...
DJU Index: To buy or not to

DJU Index: To Buy or Flee? Unraveling the Market Mystery

DJU Index: Decoding Signals – Is it Flashing Bullish or Bearish in the Market? Feb 21, 2024 Introduction: Intriguing Developments ...
Stock Market Psychology 101: Learn, Thrive, and Profit

Stock Market Psychology 101: Learn, Thrive, and Profit

Feb 20, 2024 Understanding Stock Market Psychology Through Charts for Beginners Understanding the stock market is akin to deciphering an ...
In 1929 the Stock Market Crashed Because of Greed, stupidity and arrogance

In 1929 the Stock Market Crashed Because of Greed

In 1929, the Stock Market Crashed Because of unchecked speculation Feb 20, 2024 Introduction to the 1929 Stock Market Crash ...
Palladium Forecast: Discovering the Hidden Bull Market Trend

Palladium Forecast: Unveiling the Stealth Bull Market

Palladium Forecast: Navigating the Silent Bull Market Unfolding Updated Feb 19, 2024 The lustrous white metal Palladium is silently scripting ...
The Journey to Remove Brainwashing

Unshackling Minds: The Journey to Remove Brainwashing

Feb 16, 2024 Unshackled Minds: The Journey to Remove Brainwashing Introduction: The Tangled Threads of Thought Manipulation In the grand ...
Mastering the Trading Range

Mastering the Trading Range: Unlocking the Potential for Explosive Gains

The Trading Range:  Masterfully Navigating Volatility  Feb 14, 2024  Introduction In the ever-fluctuating world of stock markets, mastering the trading ...
Unveiling the VIX Fear Indicator: Best time to buy is when the crowd is scared

Unveiling the VIX Fear Indicator: A Case Study in Market Volatility

Harnessing the Power of the VIX Fear Indicator: A 2016 Case Study Updated Feb 12, 2024 The VIX fear indicator, ...
Mind Games: Unmasking Brainwashing Techniques in Institutions & Media

Mind Games: Unmasking Brainwashing Techniques in Institutions & Media

Unmasking the Invisible: The Subtle Art of Brainwashing in Institutions & Media Updated Feb 11, 2024   Introduction: Intriguing Insights ...
The Gamblers Mindset: Exploring the Hidden Desire for Defeat

The Gamblers Mindset: The Enigmatic Urge to Embrace Loss

The Gamblers Mindset: Exploring the Secret Desire to Lose Syndrome Updated Feb 11, 2024 Introduction: The Investor's Paradox: Unraveling the ...