Zvi_WholeBrainTradin
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TLDR: Self sabotage isn't what you thought. It's your mind's legitimate way to solve bigger, more pressing issues than trading success.
Self sabotage is one of the most talked about, and yet most misunderstood, concepts of trading psychology.
The term itself - "self sabotage" - is a negatively-charged term, that brings out unnecessary feelings of self-judgement, shame and inadequacy, thus holding people back from dealing with the issue and solving it.
The reality is that EVERYBODY self-sabotages in many areas of life, all the time, and trading is no different.
A better professional term for this phenomenon is "SECONDARY GAIN".
What actually goes on is that we are subconsciously, yet purposefully SACRIFICING OUR TRADING RESULTS in order to achieve ANOTHER, MORE IMPORTANT GAIN.
We may try to be getting more out of trading than just the money.
For example, if we're in it for the action.
Or if we need to feel like a genius and take remarkable trades to show off.
Or if we've messed up our financial life, and are pressured to "make it already" and do right by our old self, our family etc.
Other times, we're protecting ourselves from negative implications of success.
For example, we may fear the vultures in the family raiding us once we make money, or our spouse and kids going on ravish spending trips and digging us even deeper in the "need to make money" cycle.
Or we may be afraid of becoming "mean and manipulative" like our uncle did when he became rich.
Or fear the emptiness and loneliness we may feel should we succeed, quit our job and become full-time traders.
Either way, self sabotage is not "a mental disorder". It's the mind's way of solving a MORE IMPORTANT problem - using your trading mistakes as a tool in the process.
Like a friend of mine once said, "if you keep doing the same stupid thing over and over again, there's likely a reason why you are doing it."
Once we figure out the reason for self-sabotage, it tends to work itself out rather quickly.
Self sabotage is one of the most talked about, and yet most misunderstood, concepts of trading psychology.
The term itself - "self sabotage" - is a negatively-charged term, that brings out unnecessary feelings of self-judgement, shame and inadequacy, thus holding people back from dealing with the issue and solving it.
The reality is that EVERYBODY self-sabotages in many areas of life, all the time, and trading is no different.
A better professional term for this phenomenon is "SECONDARY GAIN".
What actually goes on is that we are subconsciously, yet purposefully SACRIFICING OUR TRADING RESULTS in order to achieve ANOTHER, MORE IMPORTANT GAIN.
We may try to be getting more out of trading than just the money.
For example, if we're in it for the action.
Or if we need to feel like a genius and take remarkable trades to show off.
Or if we've messed up our financial life, and are pressured to "make it already" and do right by our old self, our family etc.
Other times, we're protecting ourselves from negative implications of success.
For example, we may fear the vultures in the family raiding us once we make money, or our spouse and kids going on ravish spending trips and digging us even deeper in the "need to make money" cycle.
Or we may be afraid of becoming "mean and manipulative" like our uncle did when he became rich.
Or fear the emptiness and loneliness we may feel should we succeed, quit our job and become full-time traders.
Either way, self sabotage is not "a mental disorder". It's the mind's way of solving a MORE IMPORTANT problem - using your trading mistakes as a tool in the process.
Like a friend of mine once said, "if you keep doing the same stupid thing over and over again, there's likely a reason why you are doing it."
Once we figure out the reason for self-sabotage, it tends to work itself out rather quickly.
