Beware of prediction practitioners.

The obsession for predictability (some call it visibility) is a part of our daily life. We consume predictions faster than a SLV consumes fuel during take off. You will find these men (prediction practitioners) all around you, in different forms with a constant prefix "expert in". The grim looking 40 something guy in a suit will tell you on tv "There would be pressure on rupee in the near term" and you will instantly become biased without questioning the expert how long or short is the near term? what is pressure? relative to what? gold price, crude, onions what? However you are armed with the knowledge that there would be pressure on the rupee. Please note that the expert's remark is no different from the daily prediction under your sun sign in the newspaper. Beware of these self proclaimed and widely advertised experts. Remember there are a million of them but none could predict the timing of the 2008 stock market crash.

Have you not observed remarks like "India is expected to grow at 12% the coming fiscal". Remarks not made by you and me but by responsible politicians and "experts". Have you not then seen this growth dwindle to 5% which was attributed to "external factors". Still the experts remain experts. They churn out predictions at an even higher rate and some do hit the mark by sheer chance. So now it is your call. predict India's GDP growth for the coming fiscal. Go, take a few shots. Most of you will be close to the mark and some of you will hit the bulls eye.

Now am I asking you not to try to foresee? No, that is not my intention. What I intend to say is, think of the possibilities. The moment you become deterministic about the future you are narrowing down your options and in most cases you would not have any options. Also you will tend to expect something that suits you and if it does not work out your way, you end up being disappointed. You will be advised by many to not have any expectations and attain sainthood, but i would suggest otherwise. It is expectation, hope that keeps you going. Now think, you have a situation here. If you expect some result and do not get it you are shattered, dejected. If you do not expect anything, you do not get the drive to go on. So what should you do. Go figure.