Can you teach someone to trade the markets? – obviously yes. Will they learn? – that depends on their willingness to face themselves. In general, people are unwilling to look inside and resolve their relationship with themselves. Thus, 90% of traders lose money.
Its my opinion that sheep have an unconscious understanding that humans are the top of the food chain, and are caretakers of planet earth. Animals naturally live in harmony with nature, and if its natures plan for humans to take care of the planet, an animals instincts will not contradict this. Therefore, sheep – though they fear death and run from danger – are willing to be sacrificed humanely, if they can be a source of food for the human race. They give themselves to be fenced and slaughtered, because they know this is their role. If it were not the case, the sheep would release toxins that would make their flesh inedible and they would become predators to humans. As things are, sheep are both docile and tasty.
With money, most people are much like sheep. Someone might say they want to win the lottery, just as they may hate to lose money. But subconsciously, they find comfort in losing, and would feel disorientated if they suddenly found billions in their account. They run from failure and fear poverty, yet they have a comfort zone and will do, say and rationalise anything to remain there.
The fact of the matter: the number that stares back at you when you put your card in the machine tells you everything you need to know about your hopes, your dreams, your fears, your desires, your complacency, your will, your self discipline, your hedonism, your independence, your distraction, your compassion, your greed, your virtue and your vice. Its all there, in one number. Its very pure.
You cannot have what you are not entitled to. What you have today is exactly what you feel youre entitled to – no matter what you say in protest. If youre perpetually poor, you must have wanted to be poor. Ive witnessed the homeless and hungry demonstrate the greatest acts of generosity – or so it would seem. In reality, it is a subconscious level of entitlement the prevents someone from having any more than they feel they deserve. Thus, they instinctively find ways to give it away or lose it, like 90% of traders.
Most peoples relationship with themselves and with money is unresolved. Most people are squeamish with money. They dont understand it, and feel they cannot understand it. They would rather delegate handling money to someone else, so they cannot be held responsible for any mistakes. They keep their money locked away, lest it evaporate while their back is turned. They sweep the lesser parts of themselves under the carpet. They do not face their crushed dreams. It is easier to divert attention away from the aimlessness of life with distraction. They make large sums of money, yet they feel empty and miserable, and cant explain why.
Actively investing in the markets brings you face-to-face with your relationship with money. My trading journey started with educating myself about money – what money is and how it functions. The mystery of money dissolved. Then I saw how money is power, allowing human culture to be appropriated by those who control money. The conspiracy theories – every one of them – where proven correct. The mystery of the world dissolved. Then I lost money in an uptrend – how do you lose money when you buy in an uptrend? That could only be because of my relationship with myself. I made one thousand mistakes, each one thousand times; each one exposing a minute phobia, a mania, a compulsion, or hesitation. The mystery of myself – over time – dissolved. This is the traders journey. Those who make it have an easy indifference; they do what needs to be done, when it needs to be done. They are at peace with the shifting nature of life, and accept the burdens and blessings of being human. The profit is the consequence, the self-awareness is the reward.
