When you have unrealized gains, you can't sit still and are eager to cut your position. It's not greed, but simply that you can't see through what the market is doing.



I used to be the same way. Holding a position felt no different than holding a hot potato. Until an experienced old trader gave me a hard lesson: "Do you think the big players are struggling just to shake out one person like you? Wrong. What they fear most is you holding steady and not moving."

At that moment, I finally understood — the problem isn't about technical analysis of the charts, but that my perspective was completely wrong.

All those market oscillations, consolidations, and crashes are not random guesses. There is actually a filtering system behind them:

- During a sharp decline, they shake out panic sellers — at the lowest point, you give up all your chips;
- During sideways trading, they wear down your patience — before you even get started, you give up and exit;
- When they suddenly rally, they trigger your greed — chasing the high, you get trapped.

If you can't hold your position steady, it’s basically because your emotions are being manipulated by these deliberately designed fluctuations.

Later, I changed my approach and looked at these movements from a strategic perspective. The situation became completely different. When others panic, I watch who is taking the other side; during consolidations, I pay attention to how the trading volume is changing; when a breakout is imminent, I’m already in the trade.

This has nothing to do with predicting the market. The core idea is simple: the market needs the majority of people to make mistakes so that money can transfer hands. Your impatience and unease are the energy sources that keep this machine running.

Those who manage to hold onto profitable positions are not necessarily stronger-hearted. They just see through the true nature of this game earlier. They understand that the real battle isn't about "choosing the right or wrong," but about "when the market swings wildly, do you still trust your judgment?"

That point where you get stuck might be the gap between "being slaughtered by the market" and "understanding the game rules."
View Original
This page may contain third-party content, which is provided for information purposes only (not representations/warranties) and should not be considered as an endorsement of its views by Gate, nor as financial or professional advice. See Disclaimer for details.
  • Reward
  • 10
  • Repost
  • Share
Comment
0/400
AirdropF5Brovip
· 01-08 22:24
That hits too close to home. I'm the kind of person who starts to shake a bit when there's a little floating profit. Can't hold on, really can't hold on. Feels like every second not selling is losing money. Serves them right. This logic is hardcore; the main force indeed fears you not acting. Impatience is their fuel, and I understand that now.
View OriginalReply0
FantasyGuardianvip
· 01-08 12:04
Damn, this paragraph really hit me. I'm the fool holding the hot potato... Every time there's a floating profit, I start getting itchy. Honestly, the main players are just betting on our retail investors' emotions, really. After surviving a few crashes, I did make some money. Now I can hold on, but the problem is how to tell when to defend and when to run. Understanding the game rules is easy to say, but in practice, you still have to get beaten up by the market a few times. That's why some people make money month after month, while others keep losing. It's not about skills; it's about psychological resilience.
View OriginalReply0
CryptoCross-TalkClubvip
· 01-07 07:01
Laughing to death, I am the one who hesitates when holding the hot potato, and every time I think I'm smart by "cutting losses," but in reality, I'm just being played like a puppet by the main force. It's so painfully true, it feels like this article is live streaming my daily crypto trading routine—anxious, chasing highs, getting trapped—looping through these three stages. The core is mindset and cognition. Now I understand why I always lose money. It's not because of poor chart-reading skills; it's purely because my emotions have been hijacked and turned into market fuel. Those who hold steady are not necessarily strong-hearted; they just saw through the game a step earlier. The gap is quite significant. I need to reflect. Next time there's a sharp drop, I won't run anymore. I won't be annoyed during sideways trading either. I'll wait for the real opportunity.
View OriginalReply0
ApyWhisperervip
· 01-06 20:49
That was too harsh, you hit me right in the heart. I am that hot potato, I want to run as soon as I turn a little red. Nine out of ten people who can't hold onto their positions are killed by their own greed and fear, really. That's why 90% of people lose money, smart people are just harvesting the leeks. By the way, does your theory work for U-based perpetual contracts? It seems that the volatility on leverage is even more intense. Holding steady is easy to say but hard to do, brother. The biggest enemy is the psychological barrier. Once I truly see through this game someday, I guess I will start making money.
View OriginalReply0
SmartContractPhobiavip
· 01-06 01:57
That's right, I used to be the kind of person who would want to run as soon as I saw some floating profits. Now I realize that the real enemy is my own mentality. Not being able to hold onto a position basically means not understanding what the market makers are doing; being manipulated by daily washouts. This theory is indeed interesting, but in practice, it's still easy to get slapped in the face. The market is always more complicated than you think. Not many people understand this logic; most are still controlled by emotions. No wonder there are always new retail investors every year. The line between stop-loss and holding onto a position is truly a test of life and death.
View OriginalReply0
WalletManagervip
· 01-06 01:54
Holding chips without moving your heart is stable; on-chain data reveals the truth and leads to victory. This statement is correct, but it must be combined with multi-signature wallets and risk factor calculations. Well said, but actually implementing it is not that simple. Mental preparation is one aspect, and poor asset allocation is also pointless. Value investing should be like this; don't let short-term fluctuations hijack your mind. Main force washouts are indeed a screening mechanism, but what you need to be more cautious about are contract vulnerabilities that secretly give you a bottom-fishing opportunity, only to turn into liquidation. Once you understand this logic, it's clear. But first, you need to properly manage your private keys before doing anything else.
View OriginalReply0
BetterLuckyThanSmartvip
· 01-06 01:48
It's a brilliant point, it's all about mindset. --- If you can't hold on, it means you haven't figured out your strategy. --- Really, during the sharp decline, I was also panicking, now I can only regret. --- The core is strategic thinking; most people get caught up in emotions and die there. --- The biggest fear for the main players isn't you selling out, but you firmly holding on and not letting go. --- Tossing around repeatedly is just testing who lacks patience. Now I understand. --- Seeing through the essence is really that simple; the key is execution. --- Thinking back to my previous chasing high operations, it was a complete harvest. --- Trading volume is much more honest than candlestick charts; with this, you’re unlikely to get caught. --- I've had an epiphany. The difference between being slaughtered and understanding the rules is just that bit of insight.
View OriginalReply0
VCsSuckMyLiquidityvip
· 01-06 01:35
Really, this is a common saying, but most people still can't change After messing around in the crypto world for so many years, the biggest takeaway is—don't let your emotions control you It's easy to say but really hard to do, especially when watching the candlestick charts fluctuate The key is to have patience, but very few people can actually do it Everyone wants to buy the dip and then skyrocket, but in reality? It's only about cutting losses Understanding these principles and actually executing them are two different things
View OriginalReply0
LiquidatorFlashvip
· 01-06 01:32
Trading volume can't be fooled, but your stop-loss orders can.
View OriginalReply0
tokenomics_truthervip
· 01-06 01:32
Holding steady is really the hardest part, watching the unrealized gains and then seeing them fall back... it’s indeed a designed experience. That’s right, the main players don’t care about you alone; they’re just afraid you can be patient and wait. I believe in this logic, but executing it still makes my heart race, haha. How many times have I been shaken out? Every time I think I can hold this time, but the result is still... The key is psychological resilience; technical skills are actually secondary.
View OriginalReply0
View More
  • Pin

Trade Crypto Anywhere Anytime
qrCode
Scan to download Gate App
Community
  • 简体中文
  • English
  • Tiếng Việt
  • 繁體中文
  • Español
  • Русский
  • Français (Afrique)
  • Português (Portugal)
  • Bahasa Indonesia
  • 日本語
  • بالعربية
  • Українська
  • Português (Brasil)