Is trading fun?
I had a beer with a former teammate who's been trading at a prop firm for the past 3 years. I could tell he was bragging about his success but his enthusiasm seemed genuine. He's not the first person who's talked about trading as being fun.
One of the traders I met while interviewing at a firm in Chicago told me that despite being under a lot of stress he feels he has the best and most exciting job in the world.
Are these guys some sort of freaks or is this typical? Would you ever describe being a trader as fun? Every time I look at traders they either look focused or spaced out.
Playing the Markets: is trading fun?
The markets can have extreme highs and lows. But if you are naturally inclined to seek thrills you may find yourself falling short of getting paid.
Separating yourself emotionally from your positions in the market is common advice. Being emotional about a trade can cloud your judgment and lead to some poor decisions.
That being said as with any other position there is a certain amount of stress that comes naturally with the environment. And on the other hand, there is accomplishment and satisfaction in a job well done.
Key Takeaways
- Accomplishment and satisfaction in a job well done combined with an interest in the work is ideal. Working emotionally is not.
Paul Tudor Jones
There is nothing worse than a bad trading day. You feel so low that it is difficult to hold your head up. But, if I knew that I could also have a similar experience in the exhilaration of winning, I would take the combination of winning and losing days any time because you feel that much more alive. Trading gives you an incredibly intense feeling of what life is all about.
Recommended Reading
I agree with your friend, i trade futures and options on my personal account and there are very few financial pursuits where you have as much potential for big losses and big gains as trading derivatives. It feels very rewarding when you make money and it can be depressing when you lose money. And when you are in a position which could go either way it is thrilling. So if you enjoy putting yourself in high risk situations then trading is a very fun thing to do indeed. Personally, i enjoy it a lot.
//www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/how-realistic-is-paper-trading
Sweet, thanks mods.
With all due respect, Futures Trader Man, aren't you the one who wrote the post about how you were killing it in paper trading?
Yes, that was me but i have began trading with real cash now.
Trading is a way to make money. If you want to pursue it, you should find it rewarding, but you should not be looking for fun. Futures Trader Man refers to the emotional swings he goes through above - those are the signs of an emotional trader, and he will learn very quickly that trading without detachment will kill you. Emotions and the feelings associated with fun remove a trader's ability to manage risk, which is the most important aspect of trading.
yes. end of thread.
Are bonita fish big?
In the end of the day it's a personal thing, some like it blue, some like it red, some even like it brown, there is some kind of excitement in it, no point of doing it if you don't feel that, specially at the opening, you must have seen that part in movies and I bet you saw how it ends if you are doing it all wrong, some people just don't like getting exited!
Gamma, that is what I suspected when I started the topic. My thought process is that someone who is overly emotional about trading would not be a very consistent or objective trader. Maintaining an emotional bias like that will hurt in the long run. I used to listen to music in one ear when I play poker outside the casino. I realized that pump up music made me play out of character and almost never helped me.
youre right, knowing how hard youre getting fucked is another crucial one
I dont think "fun" is the right word. There are emotional highs and emotional lows but i work to smooth them out in both directions..."excitement" and "fun" are very bad motivations for trading.
I've been working as a prop trader for awhile now, and I really enjoy it...but I don't know if "fun" is the word for it, although I do really love my job.
It can be incredibly stressful and frustrating, but it can also be very satisfying.
You need to be able to get rid of emotion. Emotion can kill you in trading. Emotional traders are the guys who hold onto a losing position hoping it'll come back (in the long run, that definitely won't work).
So, yes I enjoy trading, but I don't know if I would say it's fun.
"There is nothing worse than a bad trading day. You feel so low that it is difficult to hold your head up. But, if I knew that I could also have a similar experience in the exhilaration of winning, I would take the combination of winning and losing days any time because you feel that much more alive. Trading gives you an incredibly intense feeling of what life is all about."
The markets have taught me that trading has incredible ups and downs. Thrillseekers might chase those sensations deliberately, they seem like an integral part of the game, but I feel that ultimately they prevent you from getting paid. I meditate to detach myself from my positions, I have a long way to go, but every bit helps.
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