Why do you trade?

Ive been pondering this recently..

Is it to just make money? is it the thrill of the trade? is it the mental stimulation?

Im not sure why i trade tbh.

I have a dow system that is constantly profitable and is extremely accurate..but i reluctant to use it. why? becuase it is boring... takes little user input, its all done on price action which is individual to the dow and s&p's. There is no real analysis involved, no fundamentals, simply pulling the trigger day in day out, frankly anyone could probably do it. It is also a 1:1 RR so there is no chance of getting runners etc.

Am i ****ing crazy to not enjoy trading this even tho it is always profitable?

Take a break if you no longer enjoy it. Go on holiday with the money you've earnt. Or just do something else like voluntary work.

Money, irrespective of where it comes from, gives you choices. Sure you can be happy and poor but when you're poor you have less choices (unless you choose to steal a Ferrari or choose to break into a five star hotel in the Maldives).

The sick thing is im not hugely profitable because i am reluctant to use it..kill me now. lol

Genics said:

Ive been pondering this recently..

Is it to just make money? is it the thrill of the trade? is it the mental stimulation?

Im not sure why i trade tbh.

I have a dow system that is constantly profitable and is extremely accurate..but i reluctant to use it. why? becuase it is boring... takes little user input, its all done on price action which is individual to the dow and s&p's. There is no real analysis involved, no fundamentals, simply pulling the trigger day in day out, frankly anyone could probably do it. It is also a 1:1 RR so there is no chance of getting runners etc.

Am i ****ing crazy to not enjoy trading this even tho it is always profitable?

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ask yourself why ashley cole shagged that rotten hairdresser when he has a super hot wife in cheryl....therein lies the answer.

brutusdog said:

ask yourself why ashley cole shagged that rotten hairdresser when he has a super hot wife in cheryl....therein lies the answer.

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Genics said:

The sick thing is im not hugely profitable because i am reluctant to use it..kill me now. lol

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Then you need to address this issue so that it gives you the freedom to take a month off.

Do you really want to be profitable? I know it is a stupid question, but you just said you have a profitable system, and you choose not to trade it. So then that tells me you don't really want to be profitable. You talk about how it is boring, and doesn't take much analysis. That tells me you are looking for excitement in trading, and looking for a difficult challenge (ego) that not everyone could do. Profits are therefore secondary to you? Why can't you trade that system and make some profits with it, and meanwhile trade a new system with a better R:R ratio that excites you.

The reasons why I want to trade are twofold. I am fascinated by the movements. Fascinated by the patterns and that keeps my interest, and probably like you I enjoy the challenge. But also because I want freedom in my work life. That is what I am aiming for. I hate having to deal with idiot work colleagues, going to interviews with people that couldn't spot a good potential employee to save their lives, and travelling for hours each day to get into work on time for a job that I don't feel fulfilled in. I want the financial freedom this could offer me.

brutusdog said:

ask yourself why ashley cole shagged that rotten hairdresser when he has a super hot wife in cheryl....therein lies the answer.

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the only reason i can think of is, because he could?

Genics said:

the only reason i can think of is, because he could?

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yeah true but at what cost ( ok he was prob pi$$ed up ) but the point is surely its a no brainer. it was always gonna end badly.

maybe he found cheryl boring.
maybe life is supposed to be a struggle.
maybe an easy life isn't fulfilling.
maybe hes just a nob.

hitting a simple setup time and time again and waiting for it is boring but if it is worth it why not.

following a strict money management plan isnt exciting its boring as hell, but long term will be extremely rewarding if you can stay on the right track.

i honestly believe the further you go in trading the more boring it becomes but thats true of many things in life.

he opted for option 2 ... back,sack, crack and fack !

Genics said:

the only reason i can think of is, because he could?

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Which is exactly the reason supposedly that Livermore cornered the Cotton market.

Not for the money.

But because he could.

Nice one Genics, had one of those; "is this it?" moments myself this week. I mean it's fooking mad isn't it - sitting there waiting for the RSI/MACD/STOCH/Candle to do its thing then wade in...gotta be one of the strangest ways to make money, seems unreal/surreal in equal measures at times...

I'm been thinking about this myself recently - I have several good strategies that use indicators that make money but for some reason instead i am focusing on technical analysis on hourly and 5-minute charts and i'm not making consistant money yet, even though i know the indicators could - i almost can't be bothered to do indicator trading....
I was also thinking how uninterested i am in automatic robots to trade for you ...

And i started thinking WHY?!?! am i like this.

And i found the answer - Its because i don't just want to trade, i want to be good at it, i want to be skillful at it, its like playing Halo3, i don't just want to play for fun i actually want to become very skillful at it.
I trade technical analysis because i develops my skills and makes me feel like i know what i'm doing, i can see my improvement and i feel good about becomming good at something, thats why i don't like using indicators to trade. Its like i want to be good at something in life and especially something which can be respected because of the money that can be made...

So i pursue becomming skillful in trading rather than just making money. I've always thought that i'd prefer learn to trade myself than be given an automatic robot that makes profit.

^^

Interesting, Halo. Perhaps you should write the automated system just to earn the money and then you can focus on the aspects of trading that drive you.

If you don't know why you are doing it, you'll never succeed.

Has nobody considered that trading is perhaps the only profession that has potentially unlimited upside.

you can "never" say you have won. ... ever...

as said i dont think its about the money, its about mastering everything about trading. funny gaming was brought into it as i played counter strike at a very high level for about 5 years! if i knew how to this strat could easily be made into an automatic system..but whats the point in that? its the markets that excite me, not the profits..

Genics said:

Am i ****ing crazy to not enjoy trading this even tho it is always profitable?

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YES!!! You are crazy. Simple? Profitable? Reluctant to use? You are frigging crazy man. Crazy crazy crazy! Do it do it do it money money money tell me how to do it. I'll do it all night all day, money money money. Money for me and money for you. Money money money. Look at me with all my money. Money is power. Do it do it do it more money woo yeah!!! Yeah man u r crazy

Genics said:

as said i dont think its about the money, its about mastering everything about trading. funny gaming was brought into it as i played counter strike at a very high level for about 5 years! if i knew how to this strat could easily be made into an automatic system..but whats the point in that? its the markets that excite me, not the profits..

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You cannot tame or beat the market.

Genics said:

as said i dont think its about the money, its about mastering everything about trading. funny gaming was brought into it as i played counter strike at a very high level for about 5 years! if i knew how to this strat could easily be made into an automatic system..but whats the point in that? its the markets that excite me, not the profits..

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Cut the crap out... if you don't have profits you don't have choices. If you want a challenge become a teacher or nurse. Lots of excitement and challenge, no profit. I bet you wouldn't last 5 minutes as a teacher in an inner city school or nurse in an inner city hospital.