TOTW What have you learnt about yourself from trading?

That I'm tougher and more resilient than I thought I was when I started out way back in the mid 90s.
 
We all have limits. It's good to push the envelope though. I really don't think you need to be "clever", just methodical, know what works with what sort of probability, self-controlled and resilient enough to ignore emotions.
I've taught people to trade who weren't "clever" and they've been successful. On the other hand, I've taught some very "clever" people who didn't succeed. You need different qualities to succeed at trading than mere cleverness, in my experience.
 
That I have an addictive personality, I can't stop gambling and I always end up doing everything I tell myself I'll never do again!
 
1. Even as something of an introvert, I really don't like working on my own and much prefer the camaraderie, insights and other social aspects of 'going to work' in an office.
2. If I'm in front of a computer screen, still in a dressing gown and it's past midday, I feel slightly dirty (even if the computer screen has charts rather than porn on it)
3. That identifying alpha from beta can be tricky, psychologically speaking. I found it very easy to identify winning days as alpha, and losing days as beta...
4. That you can be good at some aspects of finance, doesn't mean you'll be good at all of them. It took me two years to work out I didn't have the je-ne-sais-quoi for day trading, have since done very well investing which is what I was doing successfully before I turned to trading.
5. Doing something with 'purpose' is important to me. Not only did I struggle with consistency, eventually I found chasing blips on a screen very dull.

I stopped day trading about four years ago, and frankly don't miss it a bit. The markets remain eternally fascinating though. And I very much respect those who can day-trade successfully as they have character traits I don't.
 
That maybe in a previous life - I was either a safe cracker - or maybe a bomb disposal technician - or even could have been Sherlock Holmes or another Columbo type detective ?
 
That maybe in a previous life - I was either a safe cracker - or maybe a bomb disposal technician - or even could have been Sherlock Holmes or another Columbo type detective ?

The way you rub people the wrong way(unintentionally or otherwise), getting them to quit with such ease after they lock horns with you, and never revealing more than you have to, I would have thought you would have been a politician in a past life old boy.
:LOL::LOL::LOL:

I hope you had a good day trading, I know I did.
(y)

Best
John
 
I like this, I think this is nice.

I feel trading is a lot similar to the journey you take through adolescence. You have high expectations of goalless and non-educated assumptions as to what life holds, only the trauma and tragedy of our misinterpretation shows us otherwise. Having friends that know more than you never hurts.
 
1. Even as something of an introvert, I really don't like working on my own and much prefer the camaraderie, insights and other social aspects of 'going to work' in an office.
2. If I'm in front of a computer screen, still in a dressing gown and it's past midday, I feel slightly dirty (even if the computer screen has charts rather than porn on it)
3. That identifying alpha from beta can be tricky, psychologically speaking. I found it very easy to identify winning days as alpha, and losing days as beta...
4. That you can be good at some aspects of finance, doesn't mean you'll be good at all of them. It took me two years to work out I didn't have the je-ne-sais-quoi for day trading, have since done very well investing which is what I was doing successfully before I turned to trading.
5. Doing something with 'purpose' is important to me. Not only did I struggle with consistency, eventually I found chasing blips on a screen very dull.

I stopped day trading about four years ago, and frankly don't miss it a bit. The markets remain eternally fascinating though. And I very much respect those who can day-trade successfully as they have character traits I don't.

I would be interested in hearing more of your story regarding day trading. Very interesting.

Although I knew this about myself before, it became more prevalent as I began investing: I am an over thinker. Something I discovered about myself from trading is that I have a compulsive, or euphemistically aggressive and active, personality and mind.
 
How powerful the mind is when you want something bad enough.

The markets are not perfect neither am I, but I can still work with that each day.
 
I would be interested in hearing more of your story regarding day trading.

I guess my perspective is that there is a spectrum of investment horizons that runs from seconds to years, and different techniques work more or less well over those horizons. I've always had a strong background in fundamentals, and think (and results would suggest I can prove) I have an edge there, but there is a point at which fundamentals break down and become useless, and for me that is on timeframes of much less than a month. Moving to TA, I never managed to find a consistent edge. First year was very good, but there was a lot of beta in there, second year was more modestly up, but with too much volatility to comfortably say, right I'm going to close off other avenues and really focus on making this work. Plus by that stage I was missing 'going to work', and frankly getting a bit bored of staring at screens of charts all day. So I gave up doing something I wasn't sure I had an edge in, to a time frame where I think I do - at what point that moves from 'trading' to 'investing', I'm not sure, but that's where I am now, and I'm very happy with the decision. Plus a little bit of the TA I worked on for two years helps on timing entries and exits on the fundamental side.
 
that i have limits and im not as clever as i thought i was. unfortunately

1. Even as something of an introvert, I really don't like working on my own and much prefer the camaraderie, insights and other social aspects of 'going to work' in an office.

5. Doing something with 'purpose' is important to me. Not only did I struggle with consistency, eventually I found chasing blips on a screen very dull.

I've had some similar insights as the above. Proper day trading is boring. And difficult to do if you have a day job to pay the bills. You also realize the market is smarter than you and all you can do is find moments here and there where it tips its hand.

I always thought of myself as someone who is consistent about things. Trading showed me I have emotional issues with win and loss streaks. If either goes on for too long, I become emotionally unsuited to this kind of activity. Winning makes me more cautious while losing makes me more aggressive and stubborn (shouldn't it be the other way around? :LOL:)

Things like that. You learn a lot by trying to make things work in a risk-based venture like trading. You put a lot of yourself into it and any sort of emotional baggage you may have will likely surface. I know it happened to me.
 
I guess my perspective is that there is a spectrum of investment horizons that runs from seconds to years, and different techniques work more or less well over those horizons. I've always had a strong background in fundamentals, and think (and results would suggest I can prove) I have an edge there, but there is a point at which fundamentals break down and become useless, and for me that is on timeframes of much less than a month. Moving to TA, I never managed to find a consistent edge. First year was very good, but there was a lot of beta in there, second year was more modestly up, but with too much volatility to comfortably say, right I'm going to close off other avenues and really focus on making this work. Plus by that stage I was missing 'going to work', and frankly getting a bit bored of staring at screens of charts all day. So I gave up doing something I wasn't sure I had an edge in, to a time frame where I think I do - at what point that moves from 'trading' to 'investing', I'm not sure, but that's where I am now, and I'm very happy with the decision. Plus a little bit of the TA I worked on for two years helps on timing entries and exits on the fundamental side.

Thank you for sharing. Fundamentals is actually my weak point. Do you have any recommended resources to learn fundamentals?
 
Trading has taught me more in 2 years than my last 20.

1. Patience - sometimes this gets away from me
2. Controlling emotion, in particular anger and negativity
3. I'm just not that bloody good and I need to work hard to succeed
4. Humility and controlling ego
5. I have a mind of a gnat and must see results short term...took me a while to figure this out!!

And alot more....many friends around me have told me I have changed dramatically over the past couple of years, almost becoming "spiritual" :), which is bizarre as I don't aspire to any religion.

Anyway, I try and get better everyday and hopefully I can pass on what I've learnt to my kids.
 
That maybe in a previous life - I was either a safe cracker - or maybe a bomb disposal technician - or even could have been Sherlock Holmes or another Columbo type detective ?

So what your saying is you drive a beat up old car, you wear a dirty old man raincoat everywhere, and you pretend to have a wife but no ones ever seen her ;)

I think I've got you sussed. :LOL:
 
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