--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Don't think about what the market's going…" description: "\"Don't think about what the market's going to do; you have absolutely no control over that. Think about what you're going to do if it gets there. In par..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18b/william-eckhardt-27602_customer_don-t-think-about-what-the-market-s-goin_1220478.png" --- # Don't think about what the market's going to do; you have… ![“Don't think about what the market's going to do; you have absolutely no control over that. Think about what you're going to do if it gets there. In particular, you should spend no time at all thinking about those rosy scenarios in which the market goes your way, since in those situations, there's…” quote by William Eckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18b/william-eckhardt-27602_customer_don-t-think-about-what-the-market-s-goin_1220478.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18b/william-eckhardt-27602_customer_don-t-think-about-what-the-market-s-goin_1220478.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18b/william-eckhardt-27602_customer_don-t-think-about-what-the-market-s-goin_1220478.png) > “Don't think about what the market's going to do; you have absolutely no control over that. Think about what you're going to do if it gets there. In particular, you should spend no time at all thinking about those rosy scenarios in which the market goes your way, since in those situations, there's nothing more for you to do. Focus instead on those things you want least to happen and on what your response will be.” [William Eckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-eckhardt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Control your actions, not unpredictable market moves; prepare for adverse outcomes. **In simple terms:** Focus on what you can control, not market predictions. Key Takeaway Plan for worst‑case scenarios. Themes risk management control preparation Mood cautious pragmatic Type advisory motivational When to use this quote - investment decisions - business planning - personal finance Key Concepts behavioral finance uncertainty resilience Questions to Reflect On - What actions can you take today regardless of market direction? - How do you avoid wasted effort on unlikely positive scenarios? A Different Perspective Over‑preparing may cause paralysis; balance with realistic optimism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Control Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control-think-853846/) [Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Happens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happens/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Investing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investing/) [Market Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/market-going-632070/) [Particular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/particular/) [Response](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/response/) [Rosy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rosy/) [Scenarios](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scenarios/) [Scenarios Market](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scenarios-market-3734852/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Situation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/situation/) [Situations Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/situations-focus-1978530/) [Think Market](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-market-245373/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [Don't think about what the market's going to do; you have absolutely no control over that. Think about what you're going to do if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-eckhardt/don-t-think-about-what-the-market-s-going-to-do-you-have-absolutely-2/) [William Eckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-eckhardt/) > [I think the market is always going to be around. The goal is not to say, let's get rid of the market, because the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-george/i-think-the-market-is-always-going-to-be-around-the-goal-is-not-to/) [Susan George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-george/) > [Most investors are obsessed with the market size today and they don't think about how the market is going to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/most-investors-are-obsessed-with-the-market-size-today-and-they-don-t/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [You also really want to take the time to think about how the market is going to evolve.You need a market that's going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/you-also-really-want-to-take-the-time-to-think-about-how-the-market/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [“As a lifetime optimist, my first tendency has always been to look for the best in others, the best in situations, and focus on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/as-a-lifetime-optimist-my-first-tendency-has-always-been-to-look-for/) [Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) > [“Even in the most difficult situations, when you focus on what is right in the present moment, it makes you happier, and gives you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-d-spencer-johnson/even-in-the-most-difficult-situations-when-you-focus-on-what-is-right/) [M. D Spencer Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-d-spencer-johnson/) > [It's not in the interest of the artist to think of his market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-van-allsburg/it-s-not-in-the-interest-of-the-artist-to-think-of-his-market/) [Chris Van Allsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-van-allsburg/) > [Until the L.A. market is settled, I don't think there's any other market out there that stands a chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-zimbalist/until-the-l-a-market-is-settled-i-don-t-think-there-s-any-other/) [Andrew Zimbalist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-zimbalist/) > [If you can just learn to think about the market first, you will have a big leg up on most people starting startups.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/if-you-can-just-learn-to-think-about-the-market-first-you-will-have-a/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [I think Virgin Blue is still a very promising and exciting business. Now, I know that's not a view that's widely held in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-corrigan/i-think-virgin-blue-is-still-a-very-promising-and-exciting-business/) [Chris Corrigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-corrigan/) > [If you think the market’s 'too high' wait 'til you see it 20 years from now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-murray/if-you-think-the-market-s-too-high-wait-til-you-see-it-20-years-from/) [Nick Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-murray/) > [There is very little sense that anybody really knows what works or why. But that's not a shock. And I don't think market research…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-huston/there-is-very-little-sense-that-anybody-really-knows-what-works-or/) [Charlie Huston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-huston/) > [When you are not playing much and you expect to play more, it is normal to think of the market. That's the modern game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ciro-immobile/when-you-are-not-playing-much-and-you-expect-to-play-more-it-is/) [Ciro Immobile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ciro-immobile/) > [Think about the market, think about the design, and think about who is going to design for that market. Hit the mark.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/think-about-the-market-think-about-the-design-and-think-about-who-is/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [Don't think OF the market. Think AS the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-fishman/don-t-think-of-the-market-think-as-the-market/) [Michael Fishman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-fishman/) ## More by William Eckhardt > [One common adage...that is completely wrongheaded is: You can't go broke taking profits. That's precisely how many traders do go broke. While amateurs go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-eckhardt/one-common-adage-that-is-completely-wrongheaded-is-you-can-t-go-broke/) [William Eckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-eckhardt/) > [I know of a few multimillionaires who started trading with inherited wealth. In each case, they lost it all because they didn't feel the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-eckhardt/i-know-of-a-few-multimillionaires-who-started-trading-with-inherited/) [William Eckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-eckhardt/) > [Amateurs go broke taking large losses, professionals go broke taking small profits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-eckhardt/amateurs-go-broke-taking-large-losses-professionals-go-broke-taking/) [William Eckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-eckhardt/) > [Good systems tend to violate normal human tendencies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-eckhardt/good-systems-tend-to-violate-normal-human-tendencies/) [William Eckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-eckhardt/) > [In many ways, large profits are even more insidious than large losses in terms of emotional destabilization. I think it's important not to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-eckhardt/in-many-ways-large-profits-are-even-more-insidious-than-large-losses/) [William Eckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-eckhardt/) > [What feels good is often the wrong thing to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-eckhardt/what-feels-good-is-often-the-wrong-thing-to-do/) [William Eckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-eckhardt/) > [If the losses don't hurt, your financial survival is tenuous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-eckhardt/if-the-losses-don-t-hurt-your-financial-survival-is-tenuous/) [William Eckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-eckhardt/) > [It's much easier to learn what you should do in trading than to do it. Good systems tend to violate normal human tendencies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-eckhardt/it-s-much-easier-to-learn-what-you-should-do-in-trading-than-to-do-it/) [William Eckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-eckhardt/) > [Don't think about what the market's going to do; you have absolutely no control over that. Think about what you're going to do if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-eckhardt/don-t-think-about-what-the-market-s-going-to-do-you-have-absolutely-2/) [William Eckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-eckhardt/) > [You can be very promiscuous in your research, but not in your trading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-eckhardt/you-can-be-very-promiscuous-in-your-research-but-not-in-your-trading/) [William Eckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-eckhardt/) > [The desire to maximize the number of winning trades (or minimize the number of losing trades) works against the trader. The success rate of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-eckhardt/the-desire-to-maximize-the-number-of-winning-trades-or-minimize-the/) [William Eckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-eckhardt/) > [If a betting game among a certain number of participants I played long enough, eventually one player will have all the money. If there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-eckhardt/if-a-betting-game-among-a-certain-number-of-participants-i-played/) [William Eckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-eckhardt/) > [The market likes to lull you into the false security of high success rate techniques, which often lose disastrously in the long run. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-eckhardt/the-market-likes-to-lull-you-into-the-false-security-of-high-success/) [William Eckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-eckhardt/) > [People want to buy cheap and sell dear; this by itself makes them countertrend. 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