of course..that's not the "not cutting losses and admitting you are wrong " pride..but about winning in a game where 95% of people loses ..it's about the pride of being doing something other people can't do.. The problem is the dissatisfactions, pains, and sufferings when you down doesn't balance out with the joy, eurphoria and rush when you are winning...as you yourself said, when my trading becomes most comfortable and satisfying, something is WRONG.. and I think most pro traders have condition themselve NOT to dwell on the comfortable and satisfying emotions..I don't even feel too excited when I am up 150k a day... on the other hand, I don't feel too bad when I down 30k too..anymore than that, I start to feel the pain... so it is not symmetrical, and trading ends up a emotionally negative sum game..
My objective (still working on it) is to make trading neither satisfying & relaxing OR painful & stressful... my aim is to make it as emotionless as possible... a tough aim, but a good one...
That's it in a nutshell 4 sure. I reached a point after a few years as a technician where I just looked around one day and realized that I could do any task thrown at me and do it well and enjoy it. It was a good feeling. I'm just getting to that point with the markets.
I really wonder who ever said anything else? Trading is a job. Period. Anybody who thinks anything else, is pursuing a hobby and is soon going to devote his time to a different one. There's nothing glorious or special about trading. I wonder why there are so damn many myths about. Maybe it's cause so few people succeed. I'd speculate that as a general cause-and-effect conclusion of applied extreme darwinism, people think those who succeed are glorious and superior heroes, since there are so few of them. So their next conclusion is that you have to be a wizard, win at every trade and make literally boat-loads of money. What a bunch of crap, but so widespread, it's ridiculous. There are so many jobs out there where you can make so much more money with so much less risk, honestly. How about medicine or law, for example? My lawyer charges $50/minute for phone consultation, and $700 to draft a letter. There are many worse out there. Microsoft's lawyers make $150,000 per minute in court. McDonald's lawyers make $250,000! (guess why) Medicals can make a lot, too. There's an obstetritian here were I live. He got very well-known since he was portrayed by Australian TV as one of the least-tax-paying people in the Country... He makes $35,000/h in surgery. He does 3-6 surgeries in an average day. Regarding the fact that he pays little tax and probably doesn't have drawdowns compared to those omnipresent in our business, chances are he's doing better than any of us ever will. By the way, this MD just bought a $25,000,000 Villa off a Quantas executive - Right on the Water in Sydney - And he goes there there 2-5 days a year - for easter holidays... All those that think trading isn't just a job, or even a particularly profitable one - Just think about it. It's a bit world out there. All the Best, ~The Scientist