Anthony Robbins - Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP)
- Thread starter James Daniel
- Start date
Does a trader necessarily want to eliminate all fear? Could it not be detrimental to be "fearless" (by having a negative impact on good risk management, willingness to quickly take losses, etc.) when trading?
I've wondered about the NLP application to trading, since the mindset that NLP seeks to achieve (as I understand it anyway, my knowledge of it is cursory) seems to conflict with the traits that are generally desirable in trading. For example, a trader should be humble, willing to admit being wrong in an instant and many times over and over as necessary, whereas NLP seeks to instill in the mind the belief that "I can achieve anything that I truly believe and commit to".
I look forward to comments from those more familiar with NLP.
Granted, repetition is a good way to learn, but at the risk of creating a day trader (i don't need to repeat the stats), isn't it better to inculcate the virtue of patience for the right settup as the First lesson of trading as oppossed to the willy nilly trigger happy freedom that is purported to be the road to conquering the market/self? Better one good trade than 10 so-so trades.
"I go slow to get there quickly" <-------- Ancient Greek saying
I think it depends on the person. I believe that people are more suited to certain trading styles than they are to others. Lots of daytraders make lousy position traders and vica-versa. I do not know that the success rate of longer term traders is significantly any better (if at all) than daytraders.
I also do not think that high repetition for learning/practice purposes leads to the inclination of being trigger happy. If it did, cops should stop taking target practice, and how about those old nuclear launch drills - yikes!
I don't know the statistics either but it stands to reason that fewer trades + higher probability of trade success = Long term survival (capital persevation) and success.
What I am suggesting is the drill of patience - to learn to be like a sniper who waits for those few seconds in the day that are a "window of opportunty" to enter trades that give 5 or 10:1 risk reward.
The "virtue" of waiting is unfortunately not emphasised enough in this era. It's as simple (and as difficult) as that.
A good analogy however one problem, a policeman will hardly ever fire his/her pistol to kill in his/her career - a trader will fire of a bullet every day. Hence if a trader is taught to fire many times (and all traders whether intraday swing or day traders will fire off every day) then it creates a dangerous precedent - namely, that you feel guilty for sitting on your hands - when infact a trader should feel good about waiting.
Maybe I'm wrong - maybe the new world order of online everything means that day trading is the most efficient road to riches and the next crop of trading billionaire/trillionaires will be the In and out style of trader (i.e. Paul Rotter). But to begin with I feel it is better to swing and learn the merits of waiting and then - if the trader so desires - can get into day trading - but not until they have "made it" - i.e. made a million dollars.