The Psychological threshold

[Vincent]

Last night I was listening to the news and once again the news reader spoke about the psychological barrier /threshold of platinum. In fact it could be anything to do with financial markets. I've heard it bantered about when gold was below $200, when it reached $250...

"Gold reached its psychological barrier of $275 per ounce..." or "The rand was below the psychological R2.00 per dollar (yes I remember). Last night it was, "... platinum was below the psychological barrier of $2000..."

Is platinum trying to explain how the mind and brain works in the context of the financial markets or maybe real life. Platinum has never reached this plateau, so how can it "talk about its soul?"

I've never understood this 'psychological jargon,' but what I have come to understand is that the psychological threshold is as volatile as our financial markets and as flowery as the people that operate in this market.

[Dave A]

the psychological threshold is as volatile as our financial markets and as flowery as the people that operate in this market.

Just loved that.

I think the point is that the commodoties themselves may be impersonal; the traders are real human beings and as vulnerable to the effect of landmarks as the rest of us.

Look at what happens to batsmen as they approach 100 runs. Their game often changes and they get all scratchy and cautious. I think as we approach recognisable landmarks, our awareness levels change and with it, our game.