You call this work?

Hello,

Anyone else have people think that trading is really not working? I trade part time and when I am watching the markets and have a friend drop by me office for a visit the first thing they say is, you call this work. I don't trade for my living as I make a good living in another line of work. But I love to trade and follow the markets intraday when the chance presents itself. Imo traders (the successful ones) are hard workers. People don't realize the amount of research ,blood, sweat and tears that traders put into their vocation. It irks me when im trading and asked if i call it work. You better believe I call it WORK!


Best regards,


Trapper

 

Sometimes sitting still is very hard work.

 

I stopped worrying about what people think long ago.

Let them worry about what *I* think.

 

Trapper-
Yeah, I get that from certain friends too.. I stopped caring and explaining...and when I finally have enough for my dream home, I think that will explain everything.

this is one country home that I like....the pics don't do it justice.....acres and acres of trails....complete peace and quite

http://www.arthurlee.com/essence.htm

 

Imagine if we had to get a real job ...

 

If someone thinks trading is not work, they've never done it before. Let them think what they wish.

 

I don't consider anything that I love to do as 'work'.

Having to vacuum my apartment, water plants etc.. during the midday doldrums...now that's 'work'.

 

when your profitable, and its a ...... when you're not!

 

I've often advised, that to those in your decision circle, for most, its their mentor or their mates (significant others, etc.); take them into your trading room during trading hours, and begin a 5min or 10min display of the actual markets, and actual trading during trading hours.

Yesterday was an excellent example, where the markets were directionless, trending downward, then fell off a cliff. About 1:20pm EST - 2:00pm EST, you could actually see the SP500 and NDX futures strectching upward in anticipation of shorting and dropping downwards. This is what happened, and was facinating to watch.

If you can explain what conditions you actually trade to that person, then you've actually done yourself a favor, because their respect for how hard trading actually is, will appreciate substantially.

I suggest everyone who can, do this, and see the results.

 

I think everyone who trades full time has had to deal with their share of envy and spite from others who put the suit on and commute to an office each day. During the bull market heyday, I think there was an overall perception that trading was easy, etc, so it kind of added fuel to the fire for people who were not involved in the markets to any real degree...But since that time and since many of these hobbyists have seen the decimation of the markets, trading is so far off the radar map of the ordinary Joe, that it is slowly but surely retreating back to what it was prior to the late 1990's boom. It will never be as obscure as it was years ago, but it has been downplayed so much in the media that there is less of that "attitude" others display when they hear that someone is a trader...

I find that trying to tell someone that you are a trader is typically not worth the hassle...So many public misconceptions about up vs down markets makes it futile to try and explain that money can be made in both directions...Better off just telling them you sell insurance or something...