Speculators ultimately walk the path of cultivation. Why is it that in the seemingly cold candlestick charts, some see the Dao? Qingze says that the purpose of entering the market is to seek wealth, but in the end, it is about understanding the Dao. You may think this is a book about techniques, but in fact, it is a solitary soul's journey, grappling with the world. One of the trading philosophies: I think, therefore I am. What the world looks like depends on the kind of eyes you use to see it. Those lightly influenced by Kant's philosophy realize that we cannot truly understand the market itself, because the market has no so-called essence. The price trends we see are merely phenomena filtered through our subjective consciousness, just as Kant said that people cannot know things in themselves. We also cannot truly know the market itself. Therefore, Qingze concludes that we must artificially legislate for the market, constructing our own theoretical framework to guide trading decisions, rather than blindly seeking the truth. This inevitably brings to mind Wang Yangming, who, when realizing the Dao in Longchang, also said that there is nothing outside the heart, and the heart is principle. There are no rules outside the market; the principles exist within your heart. How you think about the market is how the market will respond to you. Therefore, the true path of investment is not to seek absolute truth, but to establish a truth that suits oneself. Trading philosophy two: More means confusion, less means gain. A complex eye sees a complex market, while a simple eye sees a simple market. Many traders fall into information anxiety, trying to integrate news, technical analysis, fundamentals, financial reports, and macro analysis. However, Qingze believes that the more one tries to cover all bases, the more chaotic it becomes. He does not encourage the creation of so-called all-weather trading systems, but instead advocates for deeply understanding a particular set of theories, embracing its flaws, trusting its strengths, and using familiar tools: do when you understand, and don’t when you don’t. More means confusion, less means gain. This is akin to Zhang Liang, who, knowing countless military strategies, only followed the three volumes of Huang Shigong's teachings and became a genius who could strategize from afar. In real trading, if you treat all theories as seasoning, a hodgepodge may seem rich but is actually tasteless. Stable trading is about giving up the perfect outcome; it is the wisdom of subtraction. Trading philosophy three: The Dao exists in the mundane. Speculation is the path of cultivation. The you outside of trading determines the you within trading. Lightly referencing the cultivation path in university, it emphasizes that trading is not a skill, but a cultivation of character. Speculators should not just be readers of candlesticks but also practitioners of inner cultivation. He said that if you are restless, greedy, and undisciplined in life, then during trading, you will inevitably chase gains and panic sell, driven by greed and fear. Spiritual cultivation is not about grandiloquent discussions, but about profiting in everyday trivialities. This reminds me of Zeng Guofan, who rose in the cracks not through military strategy, but through four daily practices: sitting quietly, reading, and rising early. His success was built bit by bit. Qingze proposes the six-character mantra: gather your heart, gather your heart, cultivate your heart. You are not cultivating trading, but yourself. Trading philosophy four: Belief is power; knowledge is not power. Belief is power. Speculators are more like ascetics, not accumulators of knowledge, but practitioners of faith. Qingze says that after constructing one's own trading theoretical system, one must believe in it steadfastly, just like a religious belief, following and practicing it. Because the market is ever-changing, without faith as an anchor, our actions will drift with the tide. In the market, there are many smart people, but those who truly succeed are those who are willing to believe and continuously practice their own systems. Qingze states that traders are not scholars, not wise ones, but practitioners. From 'I think, therefore I am' to 'Belief is power,' he has walked a solitary yet renowned path of cultivation. The ultimate goal of trading is philosophy, and the maturity of a trader is the stability of their character. Perhaps, as he himself said, seek wealth in the world, and understand the Dao in the end.
