I think different almost in all fiealds in life. I understand how people think quiet clearly. People became trivial to me. I see the cognitive bias everywhere.. people become predicted to me. I'm also little disappointed about the way I took desicions in the past. I whish I had to tools of trading 30 years a go.. I probably where somewheres else. It's a great tool the Skil to trade in many aspects. The ability to take desicions by probability and risk management. It's good attribute. My reflection process got much better.. I'm the best psychology of my self.. I guess..
Most traders live “ roller coaster” lives. Happy and on top of the world one day and the complete opposite the next. Engineers, chemists, doctors, and contractors dont have to go through that. The bad part is that their spouses and families have to go on the roller coaster as well.
%% FUN read, charts, books. I dont know what % of traders profit? Investors tend to do well, especially those that buy every month for 40 years, the most common way to be a market millionaire.Market makers/specialists do well also. My mom sent me some time ago, a crossword puzzle book, i said thanks anyway Mom, markets keep minds sharp. But WSJ does the crossword puzzle, also, not me.
I've been a retail trader since sometime in 1980's, always been chasing penny stocks and anything else which moves, but mainly mining stocks. I suppose trading is like any hobby, it draws you into some type of interest, but unlike say model aeroplanes or dancing, there is no social life attached, none, zero. It's a hermit hobby. My wife trades but we don't share the same opinions, our styles totally opposite and do we don't discuss the subject. My wife loves gold stocks, I've come to despise gold, gold trading has done nothing but suck away my profits, but once in a while gives out a reward. But I digress, trading makes me constantly think and study. I love maths and its great that maths has rewarded me as I basically trade by numbers and statistics and algos, not so much charts. My desktop is all numbers on the screens, not charts. Besides trading, I design fishing equipment which are water craft to take fishing lines offshore. Currently designing a flying model for taking lines out over surf. I also have an electric mountain bike and ride around anywhere, often up and down the long stretches of beach. When I was younger was into hunting deer and goat and rabbits in New Zealand. I've always been a loner type bloke, mostly keep to myself. I think trading keeps me sane as I grow older.
I think this is the general type: relatively loner, and a mix between cowboy-spirit and a longterm-continuation mindset. Sometimes I wonder if trading didn't chose me, instead of the opposite. Most times when I go running in the woods I end up taking notes/ideas in my phone
I fall into that category. It will be 19 years full time this April, and other than family I don't really hang out with anyone. I have no desire to talk about trading when I am away from it, and am usually peppered with questions about this stock or can I train or the like and I just change the subject. It has gotten worse now that the kids are out of sports and I don't have a reason to go and be around other people. Somewhat pathetic I guess.
I am very good at reading charts, don't change rules unless backtesting shows reason to change, test thousands of concepts and patterns, when many say "it can't be done"- someone is making big bucks as they thought outside the box. Driving, I see bar charts from buildings or mountains, at doctor's office I see bar charts on wallpaper, talking with almost anyone-after 2 minutes my mind drifts to last chart I was looking. I am generally a loner but do have a staff who oversee automation and options. On my last student, he talks the talk only I would understand. Lol Money means freedom, after 44 years, starting to enjoy more, but I know myself, can't stray much than who I am. I stopped recommending to people to give this a try, most will lose, most too lazy or can't put in 10,000 hours of screen time.
I have a day job in front of a computer, so trading is just more time in front of the computer, that could be spent doing something physical or otherwise not in front of a computer. So I think that trading has not changed my life for the better, yet I find it so interesting that I can't put it down.
Trading is not just about making money, but it aids in the personality development of traders. I, as a trader, have seen so many ups and downs in trading, which has made me strong psychologically. As a result, I started remaining calm in situations where I used to panic easily before. Moreover, I have started giving more value to money, since I got to know that it is not easy to earn money in trading. Overall, it has helped me become a better person altogether.