I rarely see arrogant & egoistic people become successful in the markets.. What’s unique about trading is that it requires a certain balance of ‘self-confidence’, being really fucking ‘aggressive’ when the opportunity shows itself while keeping ‘great humility’ intact on times that the market tells you you’re wrong.
I’ve seen lots of traders come and go… specially those who are early birds in the bull run, most of em make money in the easy times.. then their egos BALOON so high that at some point they get slaughtered by a one big hit, or a series of losses–they cannot admit that they are mistaken, then they quit.
Because of the damage on their psyche, they fail to manage the challenges, and transcend.
This is specially true for people full of themselves.. No matter how smart you are or how experienced you are, those who feel like they are so ENTITLED that they cannot take a step back and admit to themselves that “hey maybe the market is telling me I’m wrong, and I need to change something in my ways” are eaten ALIVE by the market.
On the other hand, in my years of trading I’ve always followed and observed the best traders. whether they are veterans or still rising.. I see one prevalent characteristic.. that is “Selflessness”, there are many other traits you can name it all, determination, thirst for knowledge, flexibility, guts, reflexive decision making, balance, resillience etc.. we can fill this whole page, but for me, all of these traits are useless without the core trait of “Selflessness”
it’s kinda ironic if you think of it..
Why selflessness? my definition of selflessness in trading is–mastering the ability to go with the flow of the market and totally separate your emotions, ego, psyche, and personal worth with how you attack the market.. Yes, individuals have different skill sets.. it doesn’t matter whether they are genius analysts or have superb trading systems–I believe the core trait that keeps them going is their “Selfless” approach towards the market.
The best traders are ONE with the markets.. they listen and act whenever they are wronged which leads them to perpetual refinement… which in the end leads to Mastery.
The market is like a reality mechanism that keeps on punching you back… and those who cannot take these doses of reality easily give up, perish or remain STAGNANT.. on the other hand the most successful traders are able to separate all their BS, drama, emotions, and other personal shits.. because they understand that “the market will do what it wants to do” if you want to make MONEY all you have to do is recognize where it wants to go…….NOT
“where you think it should go.”
I have the greatest respect for the people who, no matter how good they’ve become, keep a humble approach in the market.. they remain good examples not to let your ego eat yourself and hinder you from attaining the great opportunities of life. I love talking with these individuals because they are all about self-improvement and learning about the markets.. no matter how good they’ve become they stay grounded and remain humble. Kudos to my idols.. let’s keep it up and see you at the top.