If someone sells himself short, he’s probably nervous about the future, and for good reason.
The expression comes from the stock market.
“Selling short” means that you’re selling shares you don’t yet own.
If an investor believes a stock is on the decline, he might gamble by selling it before purchasing it in the future at a lower price.
The difference is his profit.
Unless the stock goes down, he pays the consequences of selling short.
