The Hidden Struggle of High Achievers: Understanding Self-Sabotage in Trading

Self-sabotage refers to the unconscious tendency to obstruct one’s own progress, despite consciously striving for success. It's a paradoxical behavior that often surfaces in high-performance environments like professional sports, creative arts, business leadership—and perhaps most vividly, in the world of trading.

In trading, where the margin for error is razor-thin and success hinges on clarity, discipline, and emotional neutrality, self-sabotage can have devastating effects. Traders with ample knowledge and experience can still fall into patterns of behavior that undermine their results.