Quote from DaveN:
Marty,
I think you are touching upon a very deep area of trading, IMHO. Six or seven years ago, I was a pure systematic trader. Since then I've faced and explored many of the issues that you are raising. As I had been an active trader since '94, I figured I had a pretty good sense of it all. How wrong I was....
That whole side of trading is truly fascinating. Coming from a systems perspective I was indeed a total newbie. Fears, freeze, reaction, elation, etc. were all new things to deal with. Trading did often feel much like gambling-being so new to this aspect, I felt a bit out of control and less certain of my trading. I had to be careful to separate my underlying knowledge and sense of market behaviour, which was pretty well developed, with these new, unfamiliar feelings.
Working on these, and it is a continual work in process, has been profoundly satisfying, not only for my trading, but also from a personal perspective. In many ways, trading forces me to face a lot of less-desireable aspects of my personality and psyche. Understanding, managing, and sometimes mastering some of these has been powerfully liberating. I feel that the markets are offering me more than money.
Consider that sometimes weaknesses are merely undeveloped strengths.
I do feel like I am going toward the deeper side of the water and knowledge can only get me out so far then I don't know what's gonna help... Maybe a little luck
But I think this is where I want to be. Thanks for the forewarning... I probably am underestimating the whole thing.