Tilt: When Your Mind Betrays Your Strategy

In trading, the most dangerous enemy isn't volatility — it's your own mind.
Tilt is what happens when a trader suffers a loss they’re not emotionally prepared to accept. It could be massive. It could be absurdly unfair. But either way, it cracks something inside.

What follows is a cascade of poor decisions:

You vow not to lose again — but trade emotionally

You ignore your system, chasing setups that “feel right”

You exit winners too soon, and hold losers too long

Tilt is a feedback loop of cognitive distortion.
Even a statistically profitable trader can go broke if their mindset breaks first.

Traditional advice like “don’t chase losses” is tone-deaf. It ignores the emotional gravity of trading under pressure.

The real solution?
Radical acceptance of loss. Recommitment to structure. And giving yourself space to breathe, not perform
#trading