We all make mistakes, but in Forex trading it is a common occurrence that people will knowingly do things that cause trades to go bad. Now we're not talking about losing trades that are the result of testing out a Forex trading system or a specific indicator. Nor are we talking about simple errors made purely by accident. If our goal is to profit, then why would we do these things that are totally out of alignment with what we know to be right? This phenomenon has many very unpleasant results that are encountered quite regularly in the Forex trading world.



The Trader's confidence can take a severe blow when these events take place on top of losing money. Additionally, the trader will then engage in quite a bit of putting oneself down for having made the mistakes. Depending on the magnitude of the error, this can be the start of a rather vicious cycle that compounds the problem and sets the stage for recurrence. Until the source of the issue is discovered and the person does something to address it, the self-sabotaging behavior is likely to continue. Experienced traders can encounter this as well.

To give you an example, one such trader (a real person that we'll call Mark) with over 50 years experience had been going through this month-after-month for over a decade since becoming an individual trader trading from home. Mark has done just about everything in the futures industry that there is to do. He spent time on soybean farms and at the shipping docks loading ships and coordinating orders and shipments. For about another ten years, Mark ran orders on the exchange floor. From there, he worked both for and as an introducing broker in the commodities industry until he decided to retire at the age of 59. Needless to say, Mark had plenty of experience in trading, but for nearly fifteen years, Mark has been losing money. But why, and why does he continue to deviate from his plan on an almost daily basis?

Mark is definitely not ignorant about trading. He was very successful as a broker, retiring with over a half million dollars. He's tried just about every strategy and system there is. He's pretty intelligent and knows what he's doing on the computer and how to read the charts. Mark loves trading and is excited about getting up every morning to get busy with his trading. On a typical day, he might make $600 or lose $800. More often than not he loses. When his wife gets home from work (yes, she still works at the age of 70), he's usually brooding in his easy chair after kicking himself and calling himself "stupid" or "idiot". In all these years, he still has yet to end a year in the black. His wife isn't likely to let him keep on this way for too much longer.

When asked why he continues to trade this way, and why he doesn't pursue a strategy that he knows can make him money, he simply says that he doesn't because they are boring. This is a simple fact: a well-planned trade, where you have already determined what you'll do before you get in regardless of which way the market moves can be very boring. The suspense can be very intense when you enter trades without a plan, or if you've deviated from your system.

Why do people take the time to read entire novels instead of flipping straight to the end to see if the hero triumphs or fails? Why do millions of people watch baseball games, rather than simply check the scores in the morning? It is the suspense, the excitement of not-knowing the outcome, that brings the thrill. The moments that are most enjoyed and fully captivate us are when the ball is in the air and we don't know if it will be caught or dropped, when the hero's fate is uncertain. In being human, there is a part in all of us that craves that tension.

Consciously, making money is what everyone desires (afterall, who doesn't?). Many people decide to become traders because Forex Trading offers the opportunity to realize very significant monetary gain. The danger is that it also offers the thrill that another part of us craves at the subconscious level. If that part of you isn't being satisfied through other channels of your life, it is highly probable to seek fulfillment in your Forex Trading.

The results can be disastrous if you are experiencing excitement from not-knowing the outcome in your Forex Trading. What you need to do is to include activities in your life that provide sufficient excitement, and be okay with it if your trading is not so exciting - but making money.