Andrew Lo, MIT - the economist behind the "physics envy" critique of finance - on the most dangerous instinct investors have:
every time NASCAR adds a new safety feature - reinforced bumpers, roll bars - drivers crash more, not less.
they feel protected, so they push harder. economists call it the Peltzman effect: make people safer and they spend the safety on extra risk.
now apply it to markets. when volatility is low, investors don't sit still feeling safe - they pile on leverage and risk, convinced the danger is gone. the risk didn't vanish. they just stopped seeing it.
his warning: the calmest markets are exactly where people quietly load up on the most hidden risk - right before it snaps back.
~50-min Google talk, free. the MIT economist on why "safer" quietly makes us reckless ↓