Why is trading considered a form of cultivation?
1. The market is complex and ever-changing. Simplifying the complexities to find an exit in uncertain conditions is the key to trading.
2. The path of trading involves many pitfalls. Trading must be honed in real conditions; going against the trend, holding positions, margin calls, doubling down—one must experience these personally to truly understand.
3. Trading requires overcoming many barriers. Technical barriers, system barriers, capital management barriers, emotional barriers, psychological barriers, and the integration of knowledge and action—if one doesn’t work on self-improvement, these barriers cannot be crossed.
4. Trading requires both sacrifice and gain. It’s impossible to capture every market movement; many trading opportunities will inevitably be “missed.” The most important aspect of trading is focus, staying fixated on familiar territory and earning only what belongs to you. In a vast river, only take a ladle of water.
5. Consistent execution in trading is difficult. The consistency in executing trades is the hardest part, as the temptation of luck will often interfere; without a certain level of inner stability, it is fundamentally unachievable.
Trading behavior reflects the trader. Through the myriad of trading appearances, it mirrors the different mindsets of traders: greed, fear, obsession, and regret.
Only by turning inward, cultivating the heart and nurturing the character, can traders find their true selves; only then can they gradually emerge from trading.
