One of the best posts. Sometimes the fear has nothing to do with trading, fear of success. So many people are use to working for others that if they succeed at trading, it is then all on themseleves to make money.
all crap about backtesting again... instead of countless backtests try following J.Simon's rule - ' WE DON'T DO WHAT WE DON'T UNDERSTAND' .. that's what you build your success upon - understanding..if you don't understand you don't trade.. AMEN..
What makes you assume I don't understand what I backtest? And I'm sure I'm not the only trader who understands what he backtests. Exactly.
If you fear losing money you are trading too big.. You should be trading a size where you feel comfortable and can think objectively. When you trade scared, the bots will sniff you out and come after you. It's uncanny. They can smell blood.
+1 if I can add to that ... markets are inherently uncertain, as a result you cannot predict the outcome of the current trade - never. Once you are 100% convinced of this, the next step is to understand that if you have an edge (a trading method with a positive expectancy), and money management rules going with it (that is, your per-trade $$$ at risk is small enough that your risk of ruin - the risk of blowing your account in a "normal" drawdown - remains small), by taking a "large enough" number of trades you'll end-up making money - and this is really what counts, making money over the long-haul, and *not* the outcome the current trade (or of the last few trades).
There are quite of few assumptions here. Almost like that "don't end up in a roadside ditch" commercial. You might think adrenaline and excitement is actually fear. And this isn't 100% fear, like maybe right before almost certain death. Or even 50% fear, like getting mugged by a guy with a gun, etc.... So maybe quantify what % of fear. It's not like he is hiding in the closet afraid of his system. I'm sure athletes get nervous before an event, but you don't tell them to go train harder. You watch them race/compete, see how they do, and then see if the "fear" was qualified. Just not sure emotions are easily scientifically qualified.
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/37wqulCnKbE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> trade with a cougar in the room
Work on controlling emotional reaction. Walk through the thing you fear in your mind and take action being detached from the result by sticking to a good trading system.