i gotta say, i hate this thread. i don't think there's one thing i've read here that i can actually use to make money. if you think i'm wrong, go find someone who's never traded before, make them read this thread...and then see how they do trading. it won't help at all. YOU NEED A POSITIVE EXPECTANCY SYSTEM....PERIOD. have fun finding one.....these endless quotes sure aren't going to help you.
Gordon, I would say that not every thread or discussion will benefit every trader. That depends on where you are in your trading, if you have a proven system, etc. It may also mean that the thread is a little off topic, and that is ok. There is a thread on Chit Chat re the exsistence of God- will that help me or you make more money? Probably not. Read what gives you the most return. Kevin
You have perfectly defined "what is trading" with your above statements. It is all about making money, by hook or by crook. Trading is like a shark. They swim and eat, and care not for the eaten.
You raise an interesting topic, and that is the one of analogies for trading. Some see it as a battle or fight, you offer up the analogy of a shark, others have different ones. I agree that the end goal for most of us is making money, how we do that is different for us all. Some day trade, others position trade over several months. Trading for me is bottom line, a business, and needs to be treated as such. If I don't make money, the business is failing. Kevin
While there are service industries like Law, Medicine, etc. that are service based, unless government funded they need to be run as a business. Trading is not a serviced based profession. It is self serving. Some liken trading to war, but usually wars are waged for more than money. Most wars of the past couple thousand of years have been about religion, politics, or conquest and empire building. Those who fight in the war for money are mercenaries, and like traders they care not for who they kill....they kill, take the winnings/wages and move to the next war.
I like to think of trading as challenging and fun- the money is simply a by-product of having fun AND doing it well. (I suppose it(the money) is kinda like a barometer )
for the record, i did not start this thread. the first post was just a response in the other thread..but now it has its own thread.
This quote fits perfectly with above he sees trading as a fight, swimming with sharks.. "I Want To Find Out Who I Really Am" -- Rogue Trader When you trade your monitor will do a funny thing. It will become a mirror. A special type of mirror. A mirror that reflects your self-confidence, your self-esteem, your self-worth. The numbers and lines you see on your screen are just that, numbers and lines. Market information. At your choosing, when you decide to become part of those numbers and lines (putting on/off the trade) a sort of test begins. A test about you. If you see the test as threatening, you will feel threatened. If you see the test as war, you will be engaging in war. If you see the test as one more failure, you will fail. If you see the test as the need to prove yourself right, you will administered the pain of being wrong. If you see the test as certainty, you will be rudely introduced to uncertainty. If you see the test as a battle of wills, you will sacrifice your soul. If you see the test as fear or loss of money, you will be giving away your scared money. If you see and believe the test to be an exchange of information, you now become the one to confirm or deny information. If you believe the test to be one of giving up what you want in order to get it, you will get it. Get it? There is an irony in trading of both price and time. It is exactly what you have to give of yourself in order to trade it with understanding.