What makes a good investor or trader in the stock market? There is no magic formula. Successful investors possess a mixture of knowledge, intelligence, skills, common sense, attention to detail, business savvy, wit, presence, energy, enthusiasm, interpersonal skills, self?confidence, as well as other attributes that are not only are difficult to quantify but vary from one person to the next. By looking at the market closely, two important conclusions can be drawn: 1. Success sparks in those investors who react (or make decisions) quickly and effectively to the ever-changing market conditions; 2. Success is not the result of specific academic training. Investors come from varied backgrounds. Although many may think that the stock market is a location for investors who have graduated from finance, economics, and business administration degrees, there are many other investors possessing qualifications in engineering, literature, art, history, and even investors with no academic education.