Recently, member dbworld posted this statement to the comments section of an Insider report:
I’m not happy when Chris’s blog becomes a daily market speculation site. I prefer the plan and prepare topics or to be made aware of alert conditions. … stay on course .. keep focused on the important things/data. I know the news is spun in different directions and come here to get away from it!
I always appreciate feedback and thought I’d use this opportunity to revisit the reasons why I focus on the things I do. Instead of re-writing these ideas, I will share a piece that I wrote on October 5, 2008 that does the trick and is worth revisiting.
There’s not much in here that I would substantially change, so I’ll just re-post it “as is” so that you can assess my consistency and accuracy.
Why I Follow The Markets
My belief is that massive, unprecedented change is coming. No, I believe that it is already underway. When the dust settles in one, five, or twenty years, the economic landscape will be utterly changed. Another belief is that by taking steps now, both small and large, you can significantly minimize disruptions in your life that so many others will experience.
While we will all end up in the same place in twenty years, I want your path to be as gentle as possible. By undergoing voluntary change, you will have more opportunities to shape your path than those who find change involuntarily forced on them. Where others will someday reach a cliff face that needs to be scaled all at once, my goal is to walk with you up the side trail. The Crash Course is my main offering and each Martenson Report is designed to reinforce those lessons with my goal being to help you navigate the changes ahead.
Beliefs
It all begins with beliefs. I created the Crash Course to provide all the intellectual evidence anyone could possibly need, laid out like an air-tight prosecution with the following conclusion: The next twenty years will be unlike the last twenty years. But if your underlying beliefs are in opposition to this message, you may find yourself taking no actions at all.
by erik-t-2 
