What the great Chinese philosopher Bruce Lee can teach Fund managers about mastery

Answer by Laurent Bernut: This was originally a question on QUORA: which investment method is the best ?

As the Great Chinese philosopher Bruce Lee said: “have the style of no style, be water my friend”

There are two games of trading: outer and inner game of trading

Stage 0: Dunning Kruger effect
The Dunning Kruger effect is a cognitive bias where unskilled individuals believe in their illusory superiority. It is often found in senior management of old listed companies such as Volkswagen, Kodak, Sony etc. When Bruce Lees did not know anything about Wing Tsun, he thought a punch was merely a punch. After he had internalised his craft, a punch became just a punch.
In the beginning, anyone thinks the stock market is easy. Then they lose

Stage 1: Exploration
Bruce Lee not only explored Wing Tsun, but also English boxing, karate.
At this stage, market students embark on an exploratory phase to build a syncretism of what they think is best.

Stage 2: Perfection
This is the most common mistake of all outer game centered practice. Students perfect their craft and believe their style beats any other style out there. MMA is better than Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Kyokushinkai is more resilient among karate etc.
Still, students myopically concentrate on their microscopic universe and fail to embrace diversity. They may be outwardly good, but they are still trapped in the outer game.

Stage 3: Acceptance
Responding to a challenge from other Kung Fu teachers, Bruce Lee defeated his opponent in a  whooping 3 minutes. In doing so, he injured himself and pestered about how long it took. He then proceeded to enrich his repertoire.
This is the first stage of inner game. This is where internalization and deep learning starts.
This is the essence of the “10,000 hours”. This is where “flow state” happens. Students redefine their identity. They free themselves from the confine of the style they used to practice.

Stage 4: Mastery “Be water my friend”
At this stage, students redefine the game. They bend reality. It becomes effortless. Master traders and investors have redefined their game. They have a congruent universe governed by a simple set of rules.

So, in conclusion, there is no superior method: fundamental, quantitative, technical, HFT, etc. There is a better method for You that suits your personality. It is incumbent upon You to find your path on the markets. Believing that fundamental or technical analysis is the way to succeed, just because everyone else around is doing it, will not work. They are also struggling. A long journey on the markets begins in stillness

Which investment method is the best?