You know that's a pretty darn good mindset to have:) You're taking the contrarian perspective to a whole new level.
The question was asked; why do people pump a stock on the boards? To my thinking, it is sometimes, maybe even often, because they are trying to relieve the cognitive dissonance they have about the stock, especially if it is in a downtrend. There is a tremendous conflict in their mind between reality, what they want to believe, and what they have confirmed to themselves about what is right. By them repeating the same hype over and over, and logging in to see others do the same, they are essentially balancing that conflict in their mind and confirming their bias.
It's why Conservatives watch Fox and Democrats watch CNN; people want to hear, what they already believe.
Thanks for reviving this board!