On the dot. I understand the need to be cautious and use your judgement (as in anything in life, duh!), but being a coward is far worse than getting fooled. When you take action, you WILL make mistakes... but then you'll get up, dust yourself off, and learn not to make that mistake again. Someone hiding in his closet and shivering from fear - because, heavens, someone might take advantage of them! - will never learn or accomplish anything. I've been a professional educator - which, to me, has always meant avid learner - for a long time. My approach to learning just about anything today consists of 1) reading general discussions about the field, preferably by people who are actually practicing in it (e.g., forums like this one) until I absorb the main pros and cons, 2) absorbing a wide variety of free material (thank you, Internet!), which I should now have at least some ability to discriminate from step #1, 3) get my hands dirty - i.e., make a bunch of mistakes, hopefully in some reasonably safe/cheap/low-risk environment in which I can learn by doing, and 4) practice it in reality, which gets me serious traction. Depending on the field and my perception, I may also pay a professional mentor - whose qualifications I will now be able to judge on my own - to give my skills some polish. Don't let anyone talk you out of learning.
an educator with common sense..very rare "To return to my subject; there is nothing like alluring the appetite and affection, otherwise you make nothing but so many asses laden with books, and by virtue of the lash give them their pocket full of learning to keep; whereas, to do well, you should not only lodge it with them, but make them espouse it."
Oooh, de Montaigne - good stuff (and something I definitely believe in)! Yeah; I do seminars for professionals, where I teach them to make big jumps in money and status at work. Zero room for bullshit, because these people WILL call you out in a hot New York minute. If I wasn't good at actual, efficient learning and keeping ahead of the crowd, I'd be laughed out of the room. Not exactly what we have in what is laughably called "public education" these days.
I am always interested in exchanging views with those of similar thinking..which.. believe it or not..are very few not being "big headed" or egoistic like most on these public forums..I can help you with the "mechanics" of trading..as you are well aware..I can not help you with the emotional or mental part..as that is based on your life circumstances and family we can both learn something of value from each other..as they say.. "nothing ventured..nothing gained" I am "certain" you will remind me if I go off track a little
not taking over the thread..but something to think about as you embark on the new journey into the big bad world of financial futures! some years ago I came across a very good small "trading course" by some European Bank.. can't remember the name.. irrelevant the course can be abbreviated into 3 simple letters..easy to remember and recall let us call it "TST Trading" the 3 letters are the first letter in each of the 3 words that break the course down into 3 sections T = S = T = based on your experiences to date..what do you think the 3 words are?