It is quite a common saying – we need to joke about our difficulties. And we do, very often we do. But the thing is that trading might just be one of that very difficulties that we meet along the way. And even though losses in trading are not funny we still try to cope with them by joking.
But should we?
1. No – it is a serious matter.
2. Yes – it is easier this way.
3. No – it takes the edge away.
4. Yes – you are making a connection.
5. Do whatever you are comfortable with.
1. No – it is a serious matter.
Even though we shouldn’t really fixate on our losses it doesn’t mean that we should dismiss them and not take them seriously. It is better to analyze the situation and try and understand why a certain trade didn’t end in a win.
Work on your mistakes and the next time you might just not make one. And take it seriously – you have your money and your future on the line.
2. Yes – it is easier this way.
Some of us take losses very hard. And for some of us it is easier to joke and laugh because after the joke the situation doesn’t seem so serious and so dire. Maybe some of us really need a good laugh after a tough trade. In this case – joke away!
3. No – it takes the edge away.
So psychologist say that we need to laugh at our fears – that what is going to help us conquer them. But in trading the fear of loss even a slight one is not something bad. On the contrary. It is a type of fear that makes us think twice about what’s right and that doesn’t allow us to make a mistake. It is a helping fear.
Joking about it with your family over dinner might take that fear away that might just lead to losses.
4. Yes – you are making a connection.
Joking about your missed stop loss or your misinterpretation of the chart’s movements that led to a little bit of a set back with your fellow traders in the chat room or in person is just going to show that you are laid back and that you are ready to make a connection with your bunch. You are not the stick up who is going to pretend like they never lost a trade. You are just another fellow trader.
And who knows – this light exchange of trading stories might just be another way for you to learn something new.
5. Do whatever you are comfortable with.
In the end, thoughts on this topic are just that – my thoughts. I think that joking about your trading losses might be destructive for your trading if you are not careful. Just like with everything. But having a good laugh about it is not going to hurt you or make you less of a successful trader. If anything it is going to make you friendly and might even lead you to getting some trading tips.
In trading, just like with everything in life, you are only to do the things that you are comfortable with. If you are comfortable with joking around about quite a serious situation, then by all means – do so. Laugh and joke and never think twice about it.
The main thing is that you are happy with your trading and with your results. Everything else is irrelevant.
