“Why Your Hormones Run the Stock Market”
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Title: The Hour Between Dog and Wolf
Author: John Coates
Category: Economics & Global Markets, Decision-Making & Critical Thinking
What if the stock market isn't driven by rational calculations but by the same hormones that make animals fight or flee? John Coates, a former Wall Street trader turned neuroscientist, argues that our bodies are the real traders.
Sam and Sophie walk through Coates's biological cycle of boom and bust: how testosterone fuels overconfidence and risk-taking during bull markets, and how cortisol triggers panic and sell-offs when the market turns. They explore the 'winner effect'—how success changes your biology and can lead to your downfall—and discuss practical reforms for the financial industry and individuals to manage these hormonal forces.
This episode is for anyone who takes risks in uncertain environments—traders, entrepreneurs, athletes, or just anyone who's ever wondered why they make irrational decisions under pressure. The takeaway: we're not rational calculators; we're biological organisms, and the only wisdom is to know that and act accordingly.
The Hour Between Dog and Wolf by John Coates. If you want the full written summary, the whole library is on 7minutebooks.com/app — unlimited access from $2.99 a month, $9.99 a year, or $19.99 lifetime.
Chapters
00:00The Twilight of Rational Markets01:21Testosterone and the Winner Effect02:10Cortisol and the Crash03:24Implications Beyond Wall Street04:13Reforms and Practical Advice06:09The Takeaway: Know Your Biology
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