Trader’s desirable qualities

Chapter XVII T rader’ s desirable qualities In this part, we will mention certain qualities that are desirable and admirable in a trader. First, he should be loquacious within the company of his friends and colleagues, but no less kind and benevolent when conversing with those men he does not think highly of. He must be courteous in every contact he chooses to engage in, and especially when he is in the process of buying or selling. And proud he must be, for pride motivates one to guard against all vices and aspire to virtue. Furthermore, chastity is one of the essential qualities, because sexual intercourse drains one’s resources, devastates one’s character and can result in a deranged mind. I found evidence of this in the report written by M. Angiol de Conti. He wrote about a nobleman who died the same year he became a widower. The doctors who treated him were unable to determine the cause of his death, so they decided to perform an autopsy only to discover that he had no brains left. Their conclusion was that death occurred due to extensive engagement in sexual intercourse. Many among those suffering from lunacy and deranged minds are men who failed to resist the allure of the flesh. He must always retain his poise and never flail his arms, shake his legs or his body, which is a habit of many due to their stupidity and frivolity. He must be stable, mature and never disregard his common sense. Furthermore, he should be versatile and able to communicate with anyone, regardless of their status and background. He should try to avoid

being intolerant, vindictive, rude, perverse, deceitful, vain, ostentatious, and brutal, a glutton and a drunkard. Remember that some flaws tolerable to some people may be utterly unbecoming to a trader.