It's usually when they place a LONG or SHORT order and then start relying on hope instead of strategy.
The scenario often goes like this: you place a trade, and when it starts moving in your favor, you get optimistic, expecting it to continue climbing.
But when the market reverses, instead of exiting the trade, you cling to hope, believing it will bounce back in your favor.
On the other hand, when the trade moves against you right from the start, you hold on, hoping for a turnaround.
Sometimes, the price briefly moves in your favor, and you think, “Finally, it's going up,” only for it to reverse again. The cycle continues—hope replaces analysis, and before long, the trade reaches liquidation levels.
Even then, instead of cutting your losses, you convince yourself that the market has dropped enough or risen too high and is bound to reverse.
To make matters worse, you add more margin, thinking you can save the position, but the same story repeats.
The key takeaway? Stop hoping for the market to do what you want.
Instead, learn from each trade. The only hope you should have is that you've taken away valuable lessons from that experience.
This is a lesson I continuously remind myself of, and it’s something I wish for every trader out there—learn from your trades, don’t just hope for a different outcome.