This is one of the most arrogant statement which I come across at many places. This statement is based on the notion that all intelligent and capable people who understand the market must buy stocks and trade in the markets....
Trading is one small part of financial services...and all need not be traders..some are good financial analysts...so they can analyse and do research on the markets ( like Thomas DeMark) ....some may be good in technical things so he may develop good front end and back office software....some may give a good data service...some may give good market newsletter some like Alexander Elders or Dr Van Tharp can give good trading seminars....and these activities are no way inferior to trading if they are done honestly....
I met one Technical Analyst some 5-6 years ago who used to write for Economic Times, come on CNBC, has his own data service and newsletter and also conducts trading seminars...and he understands market well....we met few times and I calculated his earnings from all these activities to be Rs 4 Cr per annum....now tell me how many individual traders make 4 Cr per annum ?? I asked him why he does not trade...his reply was " why should I ,when I make this money with no risk and headache..." valid point.....as long as he is not making false promises, tall claims, bogus records, and fooling people he is doing fine...and I found him to be very good on all these counts...
A person who started Zerodha ( Nithin Kamath) was a very large and successful trader...so it is like asking him that if you are good at the markets then why did you start brokerage ?? why not trade only and make big money, are you not able to make money in trading ?? ?? He likes to branch out in broking and as long as he is doing an honest job, it is fine....
I feel that any activity if done honestly without cheating is a good activity if you have liking for it....so I dont consider that trading is superior to all other activities and traders must look down upon people doing other activities like data or newsletter.....
So we as traders, must have have pride in being a trader but we dont look down upon all others who dont trade....few of them may be honestly making much more money than us...and they may be right in asking "why should I trade ??
Smart_trade