I do agree with you to a certain extent, because I myself have not found any price action which is profitable in the 5 minute or the 1 minute time frame. But I sometimes wonder how some traders trade ES intraday profitably. Not a year, but profitable for many years.
Through diligent hard work and effort. Lots of screen time watching and learning. Testing, taking hits and learning how the market transfers money from the scared to the diligent. You will NEVER (imo) achieve that testing some 'candle pattern', see good paper results, trade live, fall on your face, try another pattern etc..... Youre just focusing your mind on what you want the market to do in the context of your pattern. That TA pattern only exists in your eyes. Your shutting yourself off from what the market could possibly be really telling you.
There are plenty of successful traders out there making bags without what I have defined as an edge. They have talent that comes through hard effort. In fact, I'd go so far as to say those with talent can make more than those who are simply applying what I have defined as an edge previously.