If I had to name one trait of great long-term investors, it wouldn’t be conviction, it’d be openness.

The ability to absorb new ideas, see them without bias, and imagine how they might reshape the world.

Ironically, the longer you’re in the game, the harder that gets.

You’ve seen so many startups fail, you start saying things like, “Google tried that in 2019,” or “nobody wants that.”

It’s always easy to spot why something might fail.
Much harder to imagine how it might work.

But that’s what buyers do... they buy into possibility.
Every buy pushes price, draws attention, fuels curiosity, attracts partners, builds brand, brings users…

Belief compounds.

And to benefit from that compounding, you have to believe early... before the herd, and before the headlines.

That’s why I like buying things that piss people off.
Anger often hints at innovation. Some old wound is getting poked. Some comfortable assumption is being shattered.

If you’re not buying when the naysayers r loudest...

which psychologists are studying whether openness to new experience correlates with better returns?

Research in this area is not extensive, but scholars like Dr. Brad Bushman from Ohio State University have explored risk-taking behaviors, which might be related to openness to new experiences and investment returns. Behavioral finance also intersects with psychology in understanding investor behavior.