[tradri]

Interesting read about feedback loops and self-fulfilling prophecies.

However, the author made it sound as if "momentum" is the only thing that drives human behavior. While it's certainly a part, I wouldn't say it's the only force driving human decisions.

[cactus2093]

I don't think the author was claiming it's the only force. But I do agree this was interesting but felt like something was missing. If feedback loops are so powerful, why are most things actually fairly stable? How and when and why does something get sucked into a positive feedback loop? I'd be curious to read more thoughts about that.

[tradri]

isn't that the question of what makes things go viral?

[tradri]

To link it to the world of investing, other key factors that drive returns/risk of assets are value, size, quality, yield and volatility, besides momentum. It's a multi-variate equation.

[PartiallyTyped]

You may be interested in Douglas Hofstadter's Gödel Etcher Bach, or if you are into something shorter, 'I am a strange loop', by the same author.

[tradri]

Thanks for the suggestions. They seem interesting.