Scream From The Rooftops
Maybe it happens as you get older. You stop relating to music the way you once did. Going to bed early becomes appealing. Slowing down and appreciating your surroundings replace rushing around. And the noise all around seems to get louder.
It really is hard to tell at times, but it certainly feels like the number and volume of distractions is higher than at any point in the past. Whether it’s social media, politicians more interested in spewing vitriol at amplified levels or the 24/7 news cycle, it feels like we are being hit from all sides all the time and not for the better. Is that really the case though?
There is no question we are a politically divided nation. You need look no further than this past Tuesday and the midterm elections. The ideological divide between parties on the left and right has arguably never been wider. Yet the results have never been tighter. Voter participation increased substantially in the 2020 elections. In the 2022 midterms, participation rates in battleground states continued that trend. That is a good thing. More people engaged is good.
Just as voter participation is good for elections, so too is individual participation in markets. For all the noise and divisiveness out there, our capital markets continue growing. Opportunities for those willing to take risks continue growing. As more capital continues flowing, that added liquidity makes for tighter and more transparent markets.
Tighter markets, be it in elections or asset prices, are a positive. In assets, a tight market means a liquid market. A liquid market means you can seamlessly get into and out of positions quickly. You can move your money more easily to wherever you see the best risk/reward opportunity.
While the amount and amplitude of noise may in fact be increasing and is almost certainly ever more distracting, it is not impeding economic progress. To be fair, there are other issues that are very much barriers to progress for many. However, the noise is not one of them. The noise is, well, noise.
So let the politicians scream. Let dogs bark. Honk your horn when you’re stuck in traffic. Yell at the television when your team isn’t performing well. Go for it. Let it all out. In some ways, it’s cathartic. And it’s certainly not inhibiting economic progress.