2025-12-24 21:20:48

After spending some time in the contract market, you'll notice an interesting phenomenon.

Beginners ask, "How much can I make this wave?" while the ones who last the longest always ask first, "How much can I最多错到哪里？"

The difference in these two mindsets determines whether you make a quick profit and run or can stand firm in this market for the long term.

I've seen too many traders who, after ten correct calls in a row, see their accounts grow steadily, and their confidence swells. But in the last trade, they fail to set a stop-loss, not only giving back all previous profits but also losing their principal. Only then do they regret it—by then, it's too late.

To put it simply, it's not that you can't make money, but that you haven't learned how to stop.

If you're just starting to get into contracts, don't rush to master complex indicators or obsess over high win rates. The first thing you should do is draw a clear "survival line" for yourself. Never invest more than your available disposable funds, and keeping your position size lighter is not shameful. Staying in the game long-term is true skill.

Before each trading day begins, think clearly—what's the maximum loss you can tolerate today? Once you hit that line, immediately close your trading software and leave the screen. This isn't cowardice; it's discipline. Those who can control themselves have already won more than half of the players.

Also, don't "go all in" when placing orders. Break your positions into smaller parts to ensure that any single loss is within your acceptable range. Even if your judgment is wrong, it will only be a minor injury, not a fundamental blow.

When you find yourself no longer emotionally affected by each candlestick and your account is steadily growing (even if slowly), it means you've truly started to understand this market. At this point, adjusting your strategy according to market rhythm is still completely possible.

But there's one thing you must never do: don't rush to make up for losses, and don't change your rules after losing. The cruelest part of contracts isn't how the market fluctuates, but the "resentment" in human nature that will drag you step by step into the abyss.

Remember this logic—stop-loss isn't for earning less, but for being able to keep earning next time.

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.

11 Likes

Reward
11
6
Repost
Share

Comment

0/400

HappyToBeDumped

· 9h ago

It's too realistic. Stop-loss is truly the first lesson you must think through before entering, it's not some profound skill. --- The outcome of a single big trade versus ten small trades is completely two different worlds. Only after trying do you understand. --- The most heartbreaking thing is the phrase "not willing to give up." How many people have lost everything because of these two words? --- It's truly rare. I've seen people lose even after ten consecutive correct calls, and it's better to stick to discipline from the start. --- Being able to survive with a small position to see the next wave of market movement really hit me. --- The problem isn't whether you'll make money; it's really about not being able to control that one heart.

View OriginalReply0

SatoshiNotNakamoto

· 9h ago

That hits too close to home. The guy I know is the type who, after making ten successful trades, never sets a stop-loss and ends up going to zero. Now he asks me every day how my account is doing, and I just want to send him this article.

View OriginalReply0

TradingNightmare

· 9h ago

Damn, this is my blood, sweat, and tears story. Nine out of ten times I was wrong, and in the end, I went all-in and went back to square one. Really, no stop-loss is playing with fire. My account name already shows the problem. Splitting positions is brilliant. Small wounds are always better than heavy bleeding. Learned my lesson. During the period I was making consistent profits, I was also floating. Now I just watch the loss line, and I run at the first sign of trouble. Living is more important than earning faster. The hardest part of human nature is the disappointment. Unwillingness can really destroy you. That's how I was repeatedly taught.

View OriginalReply0

GasFeeNightmare

· 9h ago

You're absolutely right. I'm the kind of person who goes all in and then regrets it late at night. Now I can't even save on gas fees... I should have learned from you veterans who have been around longer. These days, I just watch the K-line and get liquidated, more painful than fluctuations in gas prices. That's why I'm so broke now that I trade during low gas periods, but I still get slippage eating away most of my profits. Truly frustrating. Speaking of which, stop-loss is definitely a thousand times more important than learning any indicator. I was right the first ten times, but on the eleventh, I lost my life.

View OriginalReply0

ChainProspector

· 9h ago

It's so heartbreaking, only after losing money do you realize what "learning to stop" really means. Everyone who has suffered a big loss understands this principle. --- Stop-loss is a life-saving charm; those who don't set it will eventually end up on the ground. --- Winning ten times in a row and still crashing, the problem isn't the technique but the mentality. The market eliminates those who are greedily persistent. --- Having a small position and lasting longer is truly more practical than any high-win-rate indicator. --- Human nature is the biggest enemy. Trying to recover after a loss is basically a suicidal trade. I've seen too many such cases. --- Splitting orders is indeed a brilliant move; risk is diversified, and the mindset becomes stable, preventing a total loss in one wave. --- Once you've set your survival line, don't touch it. This isn't cowardice; it's the rule for living longer. --- Ask yourself daily, what's the maximum loss you can tolerate? Once this habit is formed, your entire trading career will be different. --- Not being led by candlestick patterns and maintaining steady account growth—that's the beginning of advancement. --- Making a quick profit and then running versus establishing a long-term foothold—what separates them is whether you can hold that survival line.

View OriginalReply0

gas_fee_trauma

· 10h ago

Stop-loss is easy to talk about but hard to do. Few can truly stick to it. --- After winning ten times in a row, you start to get cocky. If you don't stop-loss once, everything is gone... So true. --- The key is mindset. Those who can admit defeat tend to live longer. --- Before the market opens each day, think about the maximum loss you can tolerate. This trick is indeed brilliant. --- A bad trade always ends badly. I've seen too many cases. --- The unwillingness to accept loss is truly toxic. Many people in contracts are killed by this very thing. --- Honestly, stop-loss isn't cowardice but an IQ tax. The tuition fees paid make it clear. --- Position management is the core; everything else is just superficial. --- The traders who have survived the longest truly think differently from beginners. The level of thinking is way too different. --- Turning a profit is the biggest trump card in contracts. Once you start trying to recover losses, you're basically done.

View OriginalReply0