Day trading while not scaling out is inferior behavior. It depends on how you do it though. Some of the best traders on this board scale out some of the time. Therefore, at least for day trading, this thread is inferior.
Some of the best traders on this board would do much better by not scaling. Scaling is a psychological crutch implemented when wildly overextended.
There are many ways to skin the cat, and there is no perfect way to do so, but your arrogance suggests there is. Give me a freaking break.
Quick reminder: You can be successful when scaling, however you will be more successful if you don't use scaling. In addition, it would be very arrogant to tell someone that can only trade one contract, that scaling would be better.
Is that sarcasm because it's "impossible" to scale out of a trade if someone is only trading with one contract. Only possibility is "all out". The fact will always remain if you're trading size (more than one contract/lot/share)...some situations all out is better and some situations scaling out is better dependent upon the market context, price action environment and strategy. Both have statistically (not hypothetical mathematical theories) been proven in "real trading conditions". Yet, if you don't know when to scale out...best to just manage your trades as all out which is obvious your situation...we get it...scaling out doesn't work for you via whatever trade management strategy you're using. It just doesn't work for you. Therefore, you just have to come to terms that just because it doesn't work for you, it doesn't mean that someone else can't figure out how to successfully do it. Think about it carefully as so many traders has told you already in your thread...we aren't all using the same trade strategy. Thus, some strategies are not suitable for scaling out and some strategies are suitable for scaling out. Simply, its impossible for you to know EVERY strategy (trade management after entry) on this planet. Therefore, its only logic that there are trade management rules out there for specific situations where "scaling out" is superior. To debate such continually as if you've used every known trade management rule is absolutely ridiculous and almost temper tantrum like. P.S. I use both...all out and scale out...depends on the price action situation. Overall, statistically, when I decide to exit a trade "all out"...75% the trade management decision was correct. In contrast, statistically, when I decide to "scale out"...83% the trade management decision was correct. Therefore, via my own statistics (not hypothetical mathematical theories)...I'll keep doing what I've been doing for many years until those statistics change for the worst. P.S.S. Buy1Sell2, I know this is your thread but its time for you to move on to something else...seriously. You will not be able to convince someone you're right when their own trading results statistically say you're wrong. Your thread ran its course +100 pages ago...let it go dude.
I just noticed this thread is now in Strategy (System) Design section of Elitetrader.com and that would imply this thread is about automation or formulas. Unless I missed it, I do not believe this thread was originally started in this section and that it has been moved here. My point is that my prior comments (since the beginning of this thread) have been via that as a "discretionary trader" that does not use any automation or mechanical trade management system. I will now stop posting in this thread now that I'm fully aware of its thread location.