Why is trading a disrespected profession?

This has been going on in my mind for quite some time now. Finally, I thought of giving words to my thought and put them on a public portal, hoping this might relax me a bit. As most of you know, I have recently joined my job as a derivatives trader. But there are occasions when I need to tell someone what I do, and it is generally not taken as something very good. I usually get comments like “After 5 years of studying Computer Science, you have ended up doing trading. What’s the use of your degree?” or some expressions which would be clear to be non-appreciative to anyone in the world, as if I am doing the most unethical thing on Earth.

I am not saying that this makes much of a difference to me. I am living with people who are in the same job, and therefore have a similar take on the nature of job, so the question of my getting affected by such comments doesn’t come into the picture. I just want that people who want to take up trading as a profession should not be demotivated by the general public around.

Ok, first let us discuss about my joining this job. Those who know me closely know that I was never interested in programming, or so to say, in Computer Science. Why would I go for a job in which all I have to do is programming, and be pissed off everyday, cursing myself and the company; Doesn’t make any sense, does it?

During our orientation programme, the owner of the company told that this profession is highly respected in the west, but not much in India. Now, why is trading not respected here in India? Some people are too much worried of losing money that they say a stock market is the worst thing. Yeah, I know it is not a suitable option for those who are emotionally weak, those who easily get affected by profits or losses (I remember Shakespeare here .. superfluity lies in the mean :D ). Some think that it is too unethical to trade. I don’t understand this. The people who are out to trade have at least as much risk capacity as they are investing, and if not, they are fools and would be out of this business any day! So, why are other traders responsible for their being sad? And in most businesses, it so happens that one side benefits at the expense of the other side. Every big name can be associated with some kind of unethical act. It is just that what they do is make money indirectly, and by trading it is direct. Both require brains, and let me tell you, trading requires really high levels of concentration :)

We were told that a good trader has some 22 different personality traits. I don’t know if I have managed to improve in even 5 of them till date, but I know I am enjoying my life as a trader, and, irrespective of the reaction I get from people, would like to see how I fare in this business at least till I enrich myself to 15 of those qualities (cant be specific in terms of time here :) ), provided the company doesn’t kick my butt!