Why you lose money holding precious things: The emotional tag
₹15,000, convinced it’s fair because it served you well. Then the offers arrive: ₹5,000, ₹6,000. You feel insulted.
Surely, they don’t understand its value.But they aren’t cheating you. You are lying to yourself.This is the Endowment Effect, a psychological bias where we overvalue things simply because we own them.Economics says price is determined by supply and demand. In your head, price is determined by supply, demand—and feelings.When you buy something, you pay the market price.
When you sell it, you demand an emotional price. The gap between the two is where you lose money.This effect is clearly visible in the empty flat ego scenario, a classic situation in Indian metro cities.Consider Mr. Verma owns a 2BHK where the previous tenant paid ₹40,000.
When the tenant leaves, he lists it for ₹42,000, expecting appreciation.But new societies with swimming pools and gyms have come up next door. His building has none.Tenants offer ₹35,000. Mr.
Verma refuses. Accepting less than the previous rent feels like defeat.Consequently, he keeps the flat empty for 4 months waiting for the right price, losing ₹1.40 lakh in vacancy—a real financial loss incurred just to protect his rental pride.The same trap plays out in the stock market.You buy shares of Company X at ₹500 on a friend’s tip. The stock crashes to ₹300 as the business weakens.The rational move: sell, accept the ₹200 loss, and reinvest in a stronger company.Instead, you hold.
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