My trading system hasn't changed in three years; I calculated that the timing was just right—stability began at the age of thirty. The ancients were wise; the saying 'standing firm at thirty' contains profound wisdom. Thirty is a watershed. All the fortunes and misfortunes you experienced before thirty are debts from past lives. Your parents' economic conditions, educational philosophies, temperaments, and even their social connections deeply influence you. The debts to be repaid and the blessings to be enjoyed are all settled in this stage. The life that truly belongs to you begins after the age of thirty.
Some people are born with a silver spoon, while others have to fight for survival from birth. None of this is your choice. But after 30, it's different. At this age, you have enough social experience to begin to understand what is truly important to you. More importantly, you start to genuinely understand yourself—what you want, what you don’t want, and what you excel at. This clarity of self-awareness is something you didn't have when you were younger. I advise those who have struggled through the first half of their lives not to give up too early. There is a psychological theory called 'post-traumatic growth,' which states that after experiencing major setbacks, a person may gain growth that exceeds their previous level. Those who have faced injustices and hardships in their youth often have a deeper understanding of human nature and a sharper sense of opportunity. It is wealth, not setbacks, that may have shaped their future success.
In 2021, I had two paths; mid-level leadership positions with a monthly salary of 50,000 were abundant. However, I chose to start a business, deeply engaging in the trading industry. For this, I formed a team, backtested data, created indicators, and worked day and night because I deeply understood what I wanted. It's not that I can't engage in deceit and profit-seeking in business; I simply do not wish to. What I want is a profession that does not rely on others, does not incur debts, and is not inferior to others. I want a position that does not depreciate with age but rather becomes increasingly valuable. This is why I chose to trade; the difficult path is always uphill. I chose a life that began in poverty but ended in fragrance because that is the reward I deserve.
Many people engage in trading without knowing why, whether they are suitable, or how to proceed. This industry has a major drawback: no one teaches it. Unlike professions like human resources, finance, or medicine, where the threshold is clearly defined below a 5-year university degree, and years of clinical experience lead to proficiency, trading is different. To date, there is no university major for traders; the financial programs mostly teach theories, many of which are outdated. This is one of the toughest parts of trading—it’s hard to find the right entry point! Many people look back on their struggles during the early stages of enlightenment and realize the core issue: if no one teaches you, what can you do? You can only learn everything, read every theory, study every indicator. It takes over five years of exploration to gain some insights, eventually narrowing down to what suits you, commonly referred to as a trading system. This profession is different from others; it does not follow the crowd and does not require excessive effort (after the system is stabilized). Today, I will summarize the advantages and disadvantages of being a trader, and hopefully provoke some reflection for those reading this article about their suitability for this industry.
Core advantages of professional traders.
1. High income, low effort.
The market follows the 80/20 rule, and the success rate in futures trading is only 0.2%, destined for a small number of participants to share most of the profits. Therefore, the potential rewards of this profession far exceed conventional understanding. A stable trader only needs to invest minimal time in observation and executing commands, without the need for physical labor. For example, I currently only look at the K-line chart four times in the last three minutes before the market closes. If it meets the trading system's trigger conditions, I will act; otherwise, I wait for the opportunity. I strictly control my daily working hours to within 20 minutes. The rest of my time is freely spent on watching movies, socializing, fitness, and traveling—there's not much that needs to be sacrificed, yet the returns are substantial—my last position closed with a profit of over 1 million, and the holding period was less than three weeks.
2. Flexible and life compounding.
This position disrupts traditional occupational models: no fixed hours, no attendance, and no need to read people's faces, and there are no restrictions on fixed workplaces. The work is entirely self-managed, and there is no need to deal with complex interpersonal relationships. Trading can be done from anywhere in the world with network coverage using a mobile phone or computer. More importantly, the professional value follows a compound growth model! This is very important; as trading years accumulate, the depth of market understanding, risk control capability, and effectiveness of strategies will continue to solidify. You will become increasingly valuable, just like the system itself. This profession fundamentally dissolves the midlife crisis. While other jobs face physical decline and skill iteration pressures, the experience of senior traders becomes a scarce asset. Essentially, this is one of the few fields that can transform the element of time into a core competitive advantage, forming a positive cycle of 'experience-compound value.'
Let's talk about some drawbacks of traders, which I want to emphasize.
1. Against human nature, low success rate.
Humans are ultimately social animals; our clothing, food, housing, and transportation all involve interacting with others. Yet traders demand complete independence, which inevitably leads the general public to think you are out of place or foolish. This is unavoidable; your social circle will inevitably be minimal because they do not understand what you say, and you are not interested in what they say. You are part of that 0.2% group—where are you going to find that many like-minded individuals? Misunderstanding is the norm, and loneliness is inevitable. Before Wukong started trading, he had filled two WeChat accounts with contacts, but after a few years, most of them stopped communicating. Fortunately, contemporary society is quite tolerant of alternatives; being called unsociable isn't a big deal—it won't lead to public shaming or criticism. We see aliens as outcasts, but don't aliens see us the same way? Moreover, because humans inherently possess weaknesses, and traders are required to go against human nature, many people find it hard to break free. This is also a reason why there are so few traders—successfully overcoming the hurdle of human nature has a very low success rate.
2. Unstable, low sense of happiness.
Trading is unstable, and uncertainty is the greatest charm of this market. How much profit you make is determined by the market, not by people. Losses are within our control; the greatest value of 'people' is being in the right position, entering the right trades, waiting for the right moment to exit. Stop-losses are controllable; take-profits depend on luck. Behind a single profitable trade of 1 million may lie a long wait of 11 months. The sense of happiness in this profession is extremely low—it's unsafe, unstable, and salaries aren't paid on time. Most people oscillate between small losses, small gains, and breaking even. Major profitable trends account for no more than 10% of the time; 90% of your time consists of boring yet meaningful actions without significant results. Where does the sense of happiness come from? Once a system is stabilized, everything follows routine—there are no surprises, no unexpected events. Mechanical execution reduces the human factor to near zero; a stable trading system would yield similar results regardless of who executes it.
As I write this, I can't help but reflect on why I trade. Am I still suitable to continue as a trader?
Can I endure extreme loneliness? Can I persist in my logic for years, day in and day out, without applause or even facing doubts?
Can you accept 'delayed gratification' to the extreme? Can you maintain focus and discipline during a long wait (possibly months without profit)?
Can you have a strong internal drive? Trading has no external constraints and relies entirely on self-discipline. Can you execute the system efficiently without supervision?
Do you have sufficient financial and psychological resilience? Can you withstand the pressure of capital loss and long-term lack of income without breaking down?
After 10 minutes of thinking, I realized that I was smiling at the corners of my mouth.
When can you walk for another 20 years and explore the path of knowing your destiny?