While his peers are buried in math problems, he tries to crack the code of human greed; while others are anxious about mock exam scores, his gaze is fixed on the possible liquidation red line that might appear in the next moment.
The screen is his only battlefield, and also the abyss that devours him. He remembers the dizziness of joy when his account first doubled, as if the whole world lay prostrate at his feet; dropping out to trade cryptocurrencies seemed like a wise choice. However, the market, this capricious giant beast, gave him a loud slap in the face in an instant. 312? 519? Those dates deeply etched in the bones of people in the crypto world are moments of silent bloodshed for countless small investors like him in the quiet night.
Fear is ever-present: Every time the market plummets, his heart feels like it's being tightly gripped by an invisible hand, and a suffocating sensation washes over him. His finger trembles uncontrollably as he refreshes the page, and cold sweat soaks his T-shirt. There is only one thought roaring in his mind: 'It's over, it's gone to zero, my life is over…'
Greed bites secretly: Witnessing the myth of others getting rich overnight, the fear of missing out gnaws at his heart like a venomous snake. Knowing the risks ahead are tremendous, that thought is hard to shake: 'What if I go ALL IN?' His finger hovers over the 'buy' button, and reason and desire are engaged in a frantic tug-of-war.
Luck sows the seeds of disaster: After a crash, he always refused to cut losses, silently reciting to himself, 'It will definitely come back, it’s just a washout.' As a result, the hole kept getting bigger until the liquidation alarm rang loudly, and the cold reality brutally awakened him.
The uncertainty of the market is like the sword of Damocles hanging over his head. One moment he is immersed in the collective carnival of 'the bull is coming', and the next moment he might be in a bloodbath of a 'death spiral'. Every candle on the K-line chart burns with countless people's hopes and despairs. Did he think he grasped the rules? That is just the illusion carefully woven by the market.
At 17, he was forced to rapidly mature in this hellish arena called the cryptocurrency world.
Dropping out to trade cryptocurrencies sounds rebellious and cool? The cost behind it is a mental endurance that peers can hardly imagine.
He shattered the illusion of 'getting rich quickly': He understood that there is no god in the market, only survivors. Getting rich overnight is a distant lottery; the cruel truth is that - surviving continuously is the top priority.
Learning to dance with fear: He no longer fantasizes about eliminating fear, but learns to maintain a sliver of clarity amid the encirclement of fear. Setting a stop-loss line became his ironclad rule for survival.
Taming the beast of greed: He learned that 'slow is fast'. The goal is no longer the unattainable myth of a hundred-fold return, but the pursuit of steady compound growth. Taking profits is far more reassuring than floating numbers on the screen.
Killing the seeds of luck: He deeply realized that the market would show no mercy to anyone's 'unwillingness.' If you are wrong, you are wrong; recognizing a loss and exiting is the necessary courage, while stubbornly holding on often leads to the abyss of destruction.
The light from the screen is still glaring, the K-line is still wildly jumping, but the heavy weight in his stomach seems to have lightened a bit. Facing the market's violent fluctuations, his breathing is no longer rapid, and his palms no longer sweat. He begins to understand that the essence of trading cryptocurrencies is not to predict the elusive market, but to explore inward and continuously refine himself.
Dropping out is undoubtedly a controversial choice. However, in this brutal arena of cryptocurrency, the suffering, fear, greed, luck, and ultimately the restraint, discipline, and deep respect for the market that he experienced are survival philosophies that no textbook can teach.
To all the young souls struggling in the waves of the cryptocurrency world: Surviving is the key to the future. Respecting the market is fundamental; overcoming oneself is the journey.
