Trading Thoughts: Trader's Fortune Cookie

Sunday, July 17, 2005

He who fears change should be afraid.

Anonymous said...: You write very eloquently indeed. So much so, it reads like a cross between Elder and Douglas. So then why art thou still looking for the elusive success that escapes you?; 6:21 PM
illiquid said...: To be honest, I believe "damaged goods" is an accurate description for my current mentality as a trader. I've ridden that roller coaster of transient/perceived success and genuine failure a few times too often, and I think beneath it all there's just this intense feeling of impatience that is always lurking in the backdrop during each trading session. Given what I've learned about the market and myself over the years, the setups I've identified and accumulated that continue to work to this day, one would think all I needed to do was to hunker down and just keep pushing my capital where it needs to go. But my weakness is blatantly clear: it's all about how much you make when you're right vs how much you lose when you're wrong, and I lose far more than I should when I'm wrong. It's a matter of irrationality that I'm slowly coming to terms with -- two steps foward, one step back.

Thanks for your note, may the market rise up (or fall down) to meet you.; 9:31 PM