If trading mirrors back to you your selfesteem, your selfworth, wouldn't it be of prime importance to consiously build self esteem outside of the trading arena. Perhaps as important as anything else in this business. And a definite nono to use trading to attempt to pursue self esteem or what you think would bring you self esteem. I have read many times in eastern doctrines that skill at it's peak becomes spiritual. Can this spirituality be the sense of acceptance and calm that comes with the high self esteem and long experience of the "master" who have seen many battles and is still alive.
I have no data to support my feeling on this, but I would wager that less than 1/10 of 1% of all traders do it for this reason ALONE. I do not know if spiritual is the "right" word - at least not for me, and certainly not in trading. For me, there is the constant anxiety that what I belive works in the market is some transient state that the market is in that has allowed me to extract profits, or EVEN WORSE, that my profits aren't do to my skill at all, but is some random fluctuation and I was in the right place at the right time. I would call this the antitheses of "spirituality." nitro
<a href="http://www.jobok.com/Wisdom_Word.htm">It's not just an eastern idea.</a> God looked at what he had made [his work] and pronounced it "good." Some consider excellence in work to be Worship of the God who made man and woman to tend the garden.
just some of my thoughts..... Self esteem or self worth is a valuable attribution to one's life from wherever it comes. To find your own you may need to search long or you may feel you have what you need, but from where it comes must surely be a secondary matter. The sense of a calmness and acceptance held by those with peak skills and high esteem, need not be assumed as always present within them. It could equally be a representation of what is perceived by those who are looking on. That such skill at its peak becomes spiritual , is attempting to attach an inappropriate importance, possibly assuming a free pass to some righteousness and morality, in the same way it is declared that right and special must always be attached to a supernatural being. What was peak skill yesterday may become ordinary tomorrow, where would that leave its spiritual connection then ? Finally, in the words of the great spirit in the sky thank you very much
Where self esteem comes from matters if the market reflects it back to you and this reflection is your market behavoiur. Then it would be useful to build yourself up on all possible fronts so you become as charachterful and mentally strong as possible. When I talk of spirituality I mean it in a personal development context. Not morality, righteousness or external supernatural beings. An elite warrior 400 years ago may be obsolete today beacuse external things evolve. Internalized skill is always valid beacuse the human mind doesn't change. Why else do businessmen today read Musashis "book of five rings". Such skill is always relevant. Same thing with Sun Tzu. True insight is timeless.
Trading mirrors your self esteem? More pabulum for the soul. I am sure there are a s-load of traders out there that don't like themselves and are excellent at their craft. And I am sure there are equally as many if not more traders that love themselves but suck at what they do. This is just more malarkey for the mind. If you have a self esteem problem just repeat over and over each and every day "I am getting better and better everyday and in everyday." Do this till your account is bone dry and see if that helps with your self esteem . Or you could do this. Pick yourself up you your bootstraps, read, study, paper trade, plan, take action and keep repeating it till you find what works for you. But first and foremost take responsibility for yourself and your actions. Nothing builds self esteem like a big fatty trading account at the end of the day.
I read this thread and I keep hearing the words "Late at night she knocks on my door drunk again and looking to score, I I know I should say no but its kind hard when shes ready to go.... I'm just a sucker with low self esteem oh yeah ah ah yeah." Perhaps this is what drives some traders to spin out. Although in my admitted too small a sample size the biggest problem traders and investors I have seen are the ones who are good at kidding themselves and only look at their winners. And perhaps the type of people who liked to have their butt kissed in the business world.
Most it seems were not weaned early enough if at all. Maybe I should makeup a gross of sugar tits and sell em on here.
Originally posted by xianokie That pretty much says it. Keep on trading, find what works and repeat it until it becomes downright boring.
Listen now kiddies. I may have explained this a little bad. Low self esteem may be a reason some people get into the game Low selfesteem may be at cause if you go into it for external reasons, low selfesteem may promote greed for ex. Low self esteem may be at cause if you feel excessive fear for ex. or if you can't follow plans. "Charachter is everything" Dreams about gold and easy living is nothing. if you believe this I don't see where the argument is. Selfesteem is certainly not about "picking oneself up by the bootstraps" or finding an excuse for bad behaviour". It means you can be Julius Caesar if you can find the charachter in you. Then you preach responsibility which is at the core of self esteem. I get the feeling you think self esteem is a word sissies use. What do you need most in the game. What do you need to go through a long and painful learningprocess. What do you need to make effort into studying, trading and delaying the payoff. What do you need to bounce back after failing and failing again? It is easy to motivate you for an afternoon. What about five years? I think you can make yourself as strong as humanly possible. No weak links. When I hear "self esteem I hear the word "winner". Do you hear "loser"?