Are technical indicators truly helpful in trading, or are they just a way to make the process feel more scientific and controlled?

[ImogenBeaumont]

Since most indicators lag behind price action, do they actually add value, or just create a false sense of certainty that many traders rely on? What's your take on this?

 

[xatta]

It's that "false sense of certainty" that causes problems and not the indicators themselves. Studying the behavior of the financial markets is a social science and not a natural science. Can you guess what I am going to eat for lunch today? You could look at my past choices for lunch and other related data, and make a prediction that is much, much better than random. Still, you will fall far short of 100% accuracy.