"Master your emotions and you'll master the market"
STAGES OF EMOTIONS
Learning how market cycles operate can be extremely beneficial to your trading, understanding the true influence of fear and greed.
But... Controlling your emotions within the market is your main 'personal' objective, becoming an emotionless trader
But... Controlling your emotions within the market is your main 'personal' objective, becoming an emotionless trader
90% of trading is pure psychology. It is the main reason why so many traders fail as they let their trading become over-ruled by their emotions, thus making irrational decisions.
Many traders will never overcome their inherent emotional biases, therefore you should seek to understand the range of emotions we may experience as investors and how it affects our interactions within the market.
1. Optimism: A positive outlook encourages us about the future, leading us to buy assets.
2. Excitement: Having seen some of our initial ideas work, we begin considering what our market success could allow us to accomplish.
3. Thrill: At this point, we investors cannot believe our success and begin to comment on how smart we are.
4. Euphoria: This marks the point of maximum financial risk. Having seen every decision result in quick, easy profits, we begin to ignore risk and expect every trade to become profitable.
5. Anxiety: For the first time the market moves against us. Having never stared at unrealised losses, we tell ourselves we are long-term investors and that all our ideas will eventually work.
6. Denial: When markets have not rebounded, yet we do not know how to respond, we begin denying that we made poor choices. Our "long-term" view now shortens to a near-term hope of an improvement.
7. Fear: The market realities become confusing. We believe our positions in the market will never move in our favour.
8. Desperation: Not knowing how to act, we grasp at any idea that will allow us to get back to breakeven.
9. Panic: Having exhausted all ideas, we are at a loss for what to do next.
10. Capitulation: Deciding our assets will never increase again, we close all of our positions to avoid any future losses.
11. Despondency: After exiting the markets we do not want to trade ever again. This often marks the moment of greatest financial opportunity.
12. Depression: Not knowing how we could be so foolish; we are left trying to understand our actions.
13. Hope: Eventually we return to the realisation that markets move in cycles, and we begin looking for our next opportunity.
14. Relief: Having bought an asset that turned profitable, we renew our faith that there is a future in investing.