Deer in the headlights
Dec 2024

Deer in the headlights

This is an idiom that describes someone who is frozen in fear or surprise and unable to react to a sudden situation. Many wildlife explorers may validate that Deer often paralyzed by the bright headlights at night.

Deer are primarily nocturnal or crepuscular. Hence, they are more susceptible to being blinded by bright lights because their eyes are adapted to low-light conditions. Deer are most active at dawn and dusk, and have many more rod cells than humans, which are 1,000 times more sensitive to light than cone cells. Intense light overwhelms their visual system and temporarily blinds them.

Deer in the headlights effect is often used metaphorically as a reminder of the limitations of our own senses and the power of fear to immobilize us. By understanding the science, we can understand the complexity of this behavior which seems simple.

Investing in the stock market is a complex task. It can often induce fear and uncertainty, particularly during times of volatility. Just like a deer caught in the headlights, investors can find themselves paralyzed by fear, unable to make rational decisions.

When the market goes down, investors panic and sell their holdings. When market go up, investors’ try to find “next big thing” which lead to decisions without proper due diligence. Coupled with Ups and Downs of market, Investors are often paralyzed by constant stream of news, opinions, and data which overwhelms investors.

A wise investor always tries to optimize returns by looking after scheme performances. Rebalancing task with movement of market is key process as per market situation. Their try is to make sure not to get blinded by two headlights name ‘Greed and Fear’.