*It is not an investment, investments can only be done in assets, cryptos are not assets, buying into cryptos is being the stupid one to take it off someone else HOPING that other stupid people drive its price up further and hoping that at the higher price it can be sold to someone even dumber. *That poster did not propose a 30k investment in bitcoin, he invested 11 dollars and probably got out when it hit 32 according to how he worded it. I said HOPING because there is zero intrinsic value, there is no fundamental updrift embedded, there is no sensible approach to valuation or forecasting in existence. It is literally HOPING...
To your point: Many individual traders think that their challenge is unique, and at times they take it personally. What they realize over time that many struggles are very common to all traders and although each one of us is wired differently on an individual level, we are wired in a similar way when it comes to trading (or investing).
That the key principles of what I've long believed - the best of human motivations - still hold, even in what is perhaps the most competitive environment in the world. There are truly magnanimous people here, from whom I've learned far more than any book could possibly teach. In some ways, it's been a shock; in others... it's what I've always tried to do with the knowledge I've gained. I'm not going to list them (various reasons), but there's at least half a dozen whose generosity I will never forget, and to whom I am truly grateful. Nor are they alone; there are "lesser lights" here who may not have reached the same level of skill or depth of knowledge, but still invest considerable effort into sharing what they've learned. To me, the greatest expression of success is not the ostentatious display of status that impresses the fools, but the (perhaps more ostentatious - but in the right ways) sharing of knowledge so that others can gain the same sort of success. This bespeaks a confidence in their own abilities that is far more meaningful than any sort of bank balance can be. By that measure, these are the wealthiest people I've ever met.
BlueWaterSailor is right. You will have to be patient, and you will have to work very hard. But, if you come back to this forum when you get stuck, you read the discussions that are archived in these threads, you will achieve a greater understanding. I did, and it made all the difference. Once you become very advanced, it will be obvious who is talented and who is not. This forum is one the very few resources that has real traders on it. Elitetrader is an amazing opportunity to learn.
Another valuable thing I learned from ET is there are day traders making money. It's ok to be a disctretionary trader, and not 100% systematic trader. Neither has the advatnage, only the trader. Another thing I learned is to invest in my trading skills by buying quality trading education and be logical and confident in my decision making not self doubt. Another thing I learned is to stop being so systemtatic. Be loose, and be patient. Seek the high probability trade. I do not need to be first buyer or seller seeking tops and bottoms.
I've met quite a few traders on ET. That being said, this place is more like the pub outside of the market. I enjoy banter with people and talking about just about anything. I enjoy getting feedback from people on ideas I post, and asking some of the smart people here questions to figure out where I am going.
That generous leverage/margin should be used to manage risk with thoughtfully chosen hedges, not to simply inflate your position size.
Never been one post, but many traders saying something can't be done over time. I figure if they can't do something, must be good money once the equation is solved. Some "dont's" were fairly simple and others took years.