That year, I entered the trading world with the dream of "doubling every year."

My mentor said: "In the end, trading is about subtraction." I nodded on the surface, but in my heart, I disagreed—young hearts always think addition can bring more.

In the first two years, I frantically added.

Technical indicators piled on top of each other, trading systems changed repeatedly, and snippets from forums could prompt me to modify my strategies.

The results were predictable—on the night of a margin call, I finished half a pack of cigarettes on the balcony and for the first time, doubted if I had taken the wrong path.

What truly enlightened me was that afternoon when I lost 70%.

After closing my positions, I opened the dust-covered "Tao Te Ching." "The reversal is the movement of the way, the weak is the use of the way" rang like thunder in my ears.

The reversal is the movement of the way.

99% of people in the market chase high returns, which in itself is a trap.

I finally understood Buffett's deep meaning of "preserving principal"—true profit begins with "not losing."

From then on, I changed all my plans of "how much can I earn from this" to "how much can I possibly lose from this."

The weak is the use of the way.

In the past, I fancied catching every market trend, but now I understand that acknowledging my inability to comprehend or achieve is true strength.

I started to subtract—removing redundant indicators, giving up ambiguous opportunities, only acting when the highest probability patterns appeared.

Many people say they already know these principles.

But there is a vast distance between knowing and realizing. Just like everyone understands that "smoking is harmful to health," only those who end up in the hospital truly quit smoking.

Now, my trading has become simple: I only trade three familiar patterns, with a single loss not exceeding 2% of my principal, and I trade no more than five times a week, with profits instead growing steadily.

I finally understand that the subtraction in trading is not about techniques, but about the noisy desires in my heart.

When we let go of the fantasy of getting rich overnight, the obsession with seizing every market movement, and the determination to prove our intelligence, the market begins to show its gentleness.

If you are also wandering in the trading maze, why not stop and ask yourself: Is it time to do subtraction?

Less is more, slow is fast. This simple principle can only be truly understood after traversing countless mountains and rivers. @仓位管理师