Why We Trust Random Stock Picks
(Even When We Know Better)
Every day, our screens are flooded with people telling us what to buy.
Some mean well. Others don’t. Some publish deep breakdowns full of charts and logic. Others go viral with one meme.
Different styles. Different audiences. But clearly, there’s a market for this. If so many are publishing stock picks, then someone is reading them. Someone is listening.
Someone is buying.
That someone is often us.
Let’s be real. I’ve bought a stock without finishing the article. I’ve skimmed bullet points and placed an order. I once bought based on the title alone. No research. No idea who wrote it.
And since I publish anonymously, I’ll spare you the lecture about “always check the author.” That would be too ironic, even for me.
So let’s ask the real question:
Why do we behave like this?
A. Fear of Missing Out
You hear something’s up 50 percent and you panic. Not because you think it will keep going. But because you weren’t part of it.
We would rather jump into something too late than admit we missed it. Missing out feels worse than losing money. Somehow.
B. Copying Without Thinking
Research is overwhelming. Most people don’t know where to start. So they copy someone else.
And that’s not inherently stupid. In fact, it’s sometimes the smartest move if done with care.
Copying is not the problem. Blind copying is.
There’s a difference between building on someone’s research and outsourcing your brain to the first tweet that sounds confident. One helps you learn. The other just helps you act fast.
C. Not Loving Investing Is Normal
Some people don’t enjoy this. And that’s fine. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t invest.
It means you should approach it differently.
If you’re not interested in digging into companies, then don’t.
Use an index. Set rules. Ask someone you trust. Make it passive. Walk away.
The problem isn’t that you don’t care. The problem is pretending you do and then following the first person who sounds convincing.
D. Our Attention Is Short
Investing takes effort. We all know that. But attention is a scarce resource. And most of us are spread thin. So we default to what feels quick and efficient.
We let someone else make the decision for us, then tell ourselves we were “informed.”
We weren’t. We were tired.
A Quick Gut Check Before You Buy
If you want to stop falling for the same traps, try this:
• If this company were pitching you live, would you give them your money
• Do you understand how the business actually makes money
• Can you find two or three real reasons to own the stock
• Can you find at least one strong reason not to, and face it
• Are you investing, or are you reacting
If you answer those questions honestly and still want to buy, go ahead.
Final Thoughts
You don’t have to be a professional.
You don’t have to do this full time.
You just have to ask better questions than the algorithm wants you to.
This isn’t about being perfect.
It’s about being slightly less impulsive than last time.