TOTW Is it possible to feel no emotion when you win or lose a trade?

[NVP]

Some great points here .....I think it’s important to realise that we are all humans and do have emotions ...thank god for it .....and that markets are driven by fear and greed of traders ....

I love having emotions and use them in my trading.....warts and all

N

 

[Trader H.C.]

To be honest, I think it's impossible to lose money without emotion.

Experienced traders just learned to accept it, but I'm sure there will still be some hard feelings.

No one likes to lose money...regardless of their financial status.

 

[HeavLeighGill]

I think so but certain factors might make it easier. For example, I think a really rich person has a better chance of keeping calm if they lost a couple thousand dollars. If they have plenty of money, then the loss matters but it isn’t going to hurt them. Meanwhile, a poor trader that can barely pay their bills is more likely to suffer over the same loss because they really needed the money. Discipline is another big factor, as some of us have a lot more practice than others. I think those examples and other factors like our egos influence just how hard we take losses.

 

[galbi]

I always get happy when I made a profit, and upset or sad when I am not. I think these are normal, as long as you do not get too emotional while trading, for example, getting frustrated and throwing table off from the seats are a big no no.

 

[pathsofglory]

It may be possible but it’s not easy to achieve. When traders start earning consistently for a long time they naturally become neutral and small wins or losses don't affect them much. However, if you are constantly struggling for small returns then the outcomes are a big deal.

 

[Farm Yard Forex]

Yes it is possible but takes time to get there. Many people make a world as they say and the best some can hope for is being able to control emotions they experience with wins and losses. Equally, there will be people in the trading community who exhibit anti-social personality disorder traits (formerally sociopathic or psycopathic tendancies) who have an easier time not feeling any emotion either way. And of course there will be the bulk of people somewhere in between under the bell curve.

 

[Larisa]

Yes, it's possible to feel no emotion when winning or losing a trade, especially for experienced traders who've developed a strong discipline and detachment from individual trades. This mindset, often referred to as trading psychology, emphasizes seeing trading as a probability game where individual outcomes don't impact the overall strategy. Achieving such emotional neutrality typically requires practice, experience, and sometimes, a specific approach to risk management that aligns with one's trading plan and personal tolerance for loss.

 

[Zvi_WholeBrainTradin]

As a trading mindset coach I deal with this "Removing emotion" fallacy very often.
Most of my clients tell me the want to remove emotion.
I ask - do you REALLY want that?? 100% of them answer - No, not really. They've simply heard that mantra all over the media, so figured it is what they SHOULD want.
This just isn't the way to go.

We are human. Life is emotion. Nobody wants to feel like a robot.

Emotions in trading are just fine, just like in any other professional activity.

What we DO need to do is make sure that:
1. Emotions are not EXTREME. As in any other area of life, extreme emotional is usually a sign something is triggering you, often subconscious, and that needs to be dealt with. It's OK to enjoy a win or feel a little clutch on a loss. It's a problem if your mood swings to extremes.
2. You FUNCTION correctly/rationally in the face of the emotions. If you find you change your planned actions based on emotions, that's a problem.