[Peterw]

I still think stock trading is driven by profit motive, moreso, even, than business transactions, as it must look deeply in order to understand how it benefits society, and therefore, in essence, I still see such transactions of no inherent value, in and of themselves. It's still just another way to make money.

I don't actually trade stocks (yet) I trade forex and commodities, however stock investing has the added benefit of providing capital to the companies which if they are good and profitable provide a benefit to society.

I like Aelle's explanations a lot. The companies that directly interface with the end consumers all rely on wholesale products and services from B2B companies and things like commodity prices and currency exchange rates.

Ask yourself this - how many of the companies that you use for your day to day existence are tradeable on the stock exchange? Would they be in a position to provide the value they do to you had they not floated and allowed investors and traders to inject capital into them to finance their operations? How about the B2B companies they rely on to provide you with value (take your internet connection for example) - do they have tradable shares that are providing them with the capital needed to function efficiently and stay in business?

Anyway, the main motivation for a career usually has nothing to do with either of these things - it's more about what you enjoy doing day after day. You're probably going to have a longer career as an apple farmer if you enjoy spending your days outdoors and learn about plants than if you just believe deep down that the world would be a better place with more apples. Similarly, I suppose traders are in it primarily for the pleasure of solving mathematical problems, or for the thrill of handling large sums of money, or for the people they get to meet in the industry, or for the unusual work hours. Mundane stuff, like the rest of us.

I love trading, I'm learning more about myself than in any other field. I'm absolutely fascinated by what moves the markets and seeing it mapped out on the charts and moving in real time. I'd probably do it for fun even if it didn't pay anything at all.