POLL: What is the Most Important Thing in Trading?

Discussion in 'Psychology' started by rcanfiel, Oct 1, 2007.

What is the Most Important Thing in Trading?

  1. Money&Portfolio Management, Proper use of leverage, Diversification

    22 vote(s)
    9.6%
  2. An Edge

    83 vote(s)
    36.1%
  3. Psychology, Health, Personal Issues

    33 vote(s)
    14.3%
  4. Sufficient Trading Capital

    7 vote(s)
    3.0%
  5. Mentor, Trading Buddies

    1 vote(s)
    0.4%
  6. Something else

    15 vote(s)
    6.5%
  7. (Trading) Education

    4 vote(s)
    1.7%
  8. Worked in the industry, (Trading) Experience

    7 vote(s)
    3.0%
  9. Broker, Trading Software, Execution, PC-web connection

    3 vote(s)
    1.3%
  10. Risk management, Disaster Prevention

    55 vote(s)
    23.9%
  1. What is the Most Important Thing in Trading?
     
  2. gnome

    gnome

    Controlling losses.
     
  3. Nice poll.

    Some or many of the topics work together. Your edge can exist in money management, etc.
     
  4. Candara

    Candara Guest

    Cash :)
     
  5. DannoXYZ

    DannoXYZ

    1. emotional-control which relates to...
    2. managing losses

    Everything else is easy.
     
  6. joash99

    joash99

    Without an edge, all the rest mean nothing.
     
  7. The MOST important thing is HEDGING to be close to MARKET-NEUTRAL...
    Something that is rarely discussed here...
    So no wonder it's not even on the list.

    It's the only way a trader can be IN CONTROL...
    As opposed to being tossed about by the market.
     
  8. spoken like a true hedger:)
     
  9. A friend of mine is a pit trader and he is ALWAYS hedging.
     
  10. RL8093

    RL8093

    Interesting comment that in many ways reflects the view of a significant number of traders in that their view is:

    - felt very strongly
    - black & white - no shades of gray
    - superior - while other viewpoints are invalid

    Recently another op stated similar views about TA.

    Otoh, I feel it's important to be flexible and extremely observant - to listen to the market. Over the years, I've found a number of signals that work to varying degrees in different markets & different market conditions depending on a variety of factors. Some of these factors are rigidly defined / definable while others are more subjective. When several signals converge, the strength (probability of success) increases dramatically.

    As long as markets are traded by individuals who are subject to biases inherent to the human psyche, market evaluation processes based on absolutes have inherent weaknesses, imho.

    R
     
    #10     Oct 1, 2007