Why Wall Street ?

Recently a friend said “ Indeed Wall Street is a good movie , but why do you like it so much, after all Gecko most likely went to jail in the end. “
This is what set the platform for this post.
Indeed the movie is about power, politics, money and glamour but more so it is about one’s self. It is about making choices, and it is our choices that define us every day. Also the movie drives home some very important mental models. Though I do not have a favorite scene there are some which do register a ring.
The most obvious amongst them is Gecko’s speech “Greed is good.“ That one line drives home so elegantly a point which traders world over forget every once in a while and pay heavily for. After all if one were to summarize all that we know about investment and trading into two words it would be Greed and Fear.
The quintessential lesson of perception and reality is wonderfully brought out when Gecko explains the value of the painting to Bud in his office and says “Finally the perception has become reality.” There is nothing absolutely real in this world especially in trading. As Graham says “In short term the stock market behaves like a voting machine, but in the long term it acts like a weighing machine.” And in the long term we are all dead.Finally the last standoff between Gecko and Bud drives home the point about choices that we make. The dialog
“I don't know. My Dad once told me, money is something you need in case you don't die tomorrow. I guess I realized I'm just Bud Fox. And as much as I wanted to be Gordon Gekko--I'll always be Bud Fox.” says everything. And if one is still wondering that one can get away by doing right things partially then please remember “ One cannot get pregnant partially. “