Night Reading on Investing | The highest realm of trading is “chewing the roots of vegetables”

《菜根谭》, known as one of the “three great strange books on dealing with the world,” hides composure, calmness, scale, and staying power between the lines. Thinking about it carefully, isn’t the way of trading much the same?

Slow:
Chewing the roots of vegetables is valued for enduring hardship and bitterness; in trading, it’s valued for getting rid of impulsive restlessness. The “slow” philosophy advocated in 《菜根谭》 is based on proactive accumulation and scientific planning rooted in rational analysis. Like an experienced chess player, you think it through and weigh the pros and cons before making a move. It’s also like a farmer carefully selecting seeds suitable for planting, considering soil fertility, weather conditions, and more. This passage warns people not to force success in everything. Build strength in hiding, lay out plans in silence—only then can you wait for the right moment to act, and proceed steadily to go far.                 

Still:
“Those who endure for a long time will fly higher” points to the power of time, and also shows reverence for cycles. If “slow” is the order of how you do things, then “still” is the foundation of cultivating oneself. In stillness, observe the heart; in quiet, true and false are made clear. Only in tranquility can you see the essential nature of things. The market changes in an instant, and many traders lose—not because they lack ability, but because they’re missing the steadiness of “stillness.”                 

Scale:
《菜根谭》 says, “The one who covets everything grumbles about gold and wishes for jade; the one who seals up the road resents Duke Gong and refuses to accept the marquis.” Greed is a major taboo in trading, and also a mental prison. In narrow paths, leave one step for others to walk; when the flavor is strong, reduce three parts to let people taste. Breaking through your sense of scale often begins with “letting go”—letting go of opportunities that are beyond your capability range. The aphorism in 《菜根谭》, “Virtue is the root; wealth is the branch,” reveals the internal logic that determines the endgame of your scale and the long-term horizon of your character. Mapped to investing, it means that your sense of scale ultimately decides the final height of your returns. A truly scale-minded investor is never trapped in the win-or-lose of a single town or a single pool; instead, they calmly plan from a broader perspective.                 

Harmonize with the light and blend with the dust:
The biggest practice ground for a trader is the inner self. The market is a magnifier of emotion, and the solution given by 《菜根谭》 is “compete for nothing but heed others, without disliking getting fully drunk; be mild with yourself, without boasting of being uniquely awake.” As Laozi said, “By harmonizing your light, you harmonize with the dust,” a true master doesn’t look like they’re standing apart and acting uniquely. You keep discipline not to prove you’re wiser than others, but because that’s simply the most comfortable state for you. With the calmness and grit of chewing the roots of vegetables, face the rise and fall with a peaceful mind, and plan the future with rational thinking—on the road of investing and life, you will surely achieve something.