When to throw in the towel as a trader?

Quote from illiquid:

Looks interesting, just popped it in my cart, thx. I've always found you can learn alot more about trading from books that aren't about trading.
YW.

You have no idea how much I agree with your second statement.

nitro
 
If you judge a book by an editorial reviewer, you are probably the kind of person that goes to movies based on other peoples review of it.

Another piece of advice. There is a dualism to this book: There is Gonzales recounting stories, and there is Gonzales giving his interpretations of what happens in those stories as to what went wrong. _Even_ if all you did was read this book for the former, it would be worth it's weight in gold.

As an aside, the older I get the more I realize that what Wittgenstein said is true - you only understand things once you understand them. Zen masters say mostly the same thing.

One can read a book like this ten times and get nothing from it. You then have an experience. You go back and reread it and tears would flow from your eyes. The best books seem to mature as you do...

nitro
Quote from spect8or:

"Pinpointing why and how those 10% survive is another story. "They are the ones who can perceive their situation clearly; they can plan and take correct action," Gonzales explains.

...

Although there's no surefire way to become a survivor, Gonzales does share some rules for adventure gleaned from the survivors themselves: stay calm, be decisive and don't give up."


Phewee. That is deep. Sounds like a real "must read".

(I wonder, what is "correct action"? Action that saves you? If it didn't save you, it wasn't "correct"? Kinda like buying stocks that only go up. If they don't go up, don't buy them.)
 
Quote from nitro:

If you judge a book by an editorial reviewer, you are probably the kind of person that goes to movies based on other peoples review of it.

Another piece of advice. There is a dualism to this book: There is Gonzales recounting stories, and there is Gonzales giving his interpretations of what happens in those stories as to what went wrong. _Even_ if all you did was read this book for the former, it would be worth it's weight in gold.

As an aside, the older I get the more I realize that what Wittgenstein said is true - you only understand things once you understand them. Zen masters say mostly the same thing.

One can read a book like this ten times and get nothing from it. You then have an experience. You go back and reread it and tears would flow from your eyes. The best books seem to mature as you do...

nitro

Relax bro, I'm just having fun. I agree with what you say. But I've just learnt not to trust books that purport to "explain" how such and such and people done such and such things. All you can ever hope to get is the author's subjective take on it, no matter the number of scientists they quote, and ultimately there's never anything conclusive beyond mere common sense anyway. (Yeah, the above was from the review, but it still states the author's conclusions.) Of course, as you say, such books still have "read and reflect" value, but if, as you say, it won't help until you've experienced anyway, I prefer to spend time on the experiencing. One I've heard goes (supposedly Chinese), "I hear I forget, I see I remember, I do I understand."

Edit
People will still keep writing and people will still keep reading such books, of course, because the traditional education system has conditioned us to believe that learning takes place by reading books, which, if you think about it, is utter nonsense.
 
Quote from Businessman:

You mention compulsive gambling.

There are more traders addicted to the action than would care
to admit.

Unlike other forms of gambling, the trader thinks he is either
investing or running a business. The gambling element and
addiction creap up on the failing trader without them realising it.

The constant winning and losing, highs and lows, the body
gets addicted to the adrelenin and endorphins constantly
being pumped through the system.

The lack of action in other parts of a traders life make them
feel hollow when they are out of the market.

Then theres also the point of no return, youve spent years
trading, lost large sums in the market and probably alot more
in oppurtunity costs (giving up your day job or neglecting a
promising if otherwise boring career). So you feel you cant
quit, all that effort would be wasted. After all you spent all those
years learning from your mistakes and going through all that
pain. To just give up would mean all that was for nothing.

I suppose life after (failed) trading for a lot of people is the same
for the majority of people in life who have (monetary) dreams
they work hard for and never attain (or attain and then lose),
you join the ranks of lifes losers and your life from then on
becomes a constant struggle.


Best post on this thread. After trading a while, you've just invested way too much time and money and its hard to walk away unless you're forced to due to lack of funds.
The "tommorow I'll turn it around and never look back" mentality is always there for a guy you hasn't found consistnacy in trading. Of course they'll always be days and streaks of days when you bank and that gives you the hope to continue. But its just a matter of time before you find yourself at new lows, if the consistancy is not there.
So when do you know when to continue or throw it in? I'd say focus on consistancy, if it isn't there then don't wait for the new lows to hit you. (trying to follow my own advice).
 
Quote from Businessman:



The constant winning and losing, highs and lows, the body
gets addicted to the adrelenin and endorphins constantly
being pumped through the system.

The lack of action in other parts of a traders life make them
feel hollow when they are out of the market.


That's the nail in the coffin of every failed traders carreer, not the $ losses. The $ losses is just a sideeffect of the addiction to the action.
 
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