As a child of the Cold War, I have a very easy “tell” that indicates when I am really anxious: I have a dream about a nuclear war. It happens every single time. If I’m extraordinarily worried, then the mushroom clouds show up. It happened to me just the other night.

The reason, as you might guess, is related to the election. However, it isn’t the election per se: it is the market’s reaction to it. Just think back to the mayhem that took place on Election Night 2016. I suspect something akin to that, but instead of taking place over several hours, it could go on for days, or even weeks. Just wild, crazy swings, up and down, with every tidbit of news lurching the market this way and that. Thus, the dreams of nuclear annihilation.

With a week to go to the election, I wanted to share a few thoughts about the week ahead of us and how I’d like this community to comport itself.

Oscar Wilde once wrote, “Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.”. Almost everyone here has a mask, in the respect that they are essentially anonymous. This can, at times, cause people to act out. I am guilty of this on occasion, although I think I’ve done much better lately.

Simply stated, let’s try to keep our passions private and the information we share to be helpful, interesting, and illuminating. No need for personal attacks. No need for chest thumping. No need for nastiness. I have privately written to some folks that were feeling particularly strongly, and their responses have been courteous and positive.

Emotions will be running hot. Let’s all double-down on our self control. After all, that’s a crucial skill for a trader, no matter what. I’ll try to lead by good example. We are about to move to a historical pivot point.