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Those with a good amount of experience trading already know the answer to that question. The short answer is yes.
But it gets easier.
Maybe after you have been trading a long time and you have “figured it out,” you no longer think trading is difficult.
But remember when you first started. Sure, it wasn’t easy.
Robert Rhea once said:
“No profession requires more hard work, intelligence, patience, and mental discipline than successful speculation.”
Robert Rhea was an author and technical analyst known for his contributions to the field of stock market analysis.
And he studied and wrote about the Dow Theory quite a lot.
Can Anyone Learn To Trade?
Just like learning to ride a bike, it is difficult initially, and you fall a lot.
But once you learn the skill, it becomes easier.
If a person puts in the hard work, patience, and mental discipline, it is a skill one can learn.
It would be unfair to say that anyone can be a successful trader.
It is difficult enough that not everyone will have the patience and determination to overcome the learning curve.
It can not be learned over a weekend or by reading a few books.
You might have seen stats that say that most traders fail.
That may be true if they count the numerous new traders coming into the markets every day, trying it out for six months, and abandoning it.
For those who didn’t drop out and stuck with it, many of them can become competent at it and be consistently profitable.
Within that segment, only a small percentage of that goes on to become top traders.
Not everyone will be able to learn to play the piano.
A good number drop out because they do not have enough interest to be able to spend many hours practicing.
However, many people do eventually learn to play the piano.
Of those who can, only a small percentage can play Mozart or Chopin.
Commodities trader Michael Marcus said it best:
“I think to be in the upper echelon of successful traders requires an innate skill, a gift. It’s just like being a great violinist. But to be a competent trader and make money is a skill you can learn.”
In Speculator’s Podcast, the host asked options trader Peter Reznicek whether anyone can become a trader. Peter said, no, because:
“There are certain personality characteristics that would be very difficult to unlearn. I think there are definitely some segments of the population that are simply not cut out for it – mentally, personality-wise, discipline-wise. I don’t think it’s a one-size-fits-all all type of thing, and just anybody can do it.”
Not everyone can be a great basketball player, either.
Some people are born with certain characteristics that make it easier to become a great basketball player.
Like they say, you can not coach height.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I leave you with this video by SMB Capital, where one trader tells his story of a consistently losing P&L for a year.
But he didn’t give up, and now he is one of their top traders.
We hope you enjoyed this article on the topic of ‘Is trading difficult?’
If you have any questions, please send an email or leave a comment below.
Trade safe!
Disclaimer: The information above is for educational purposes only and should not be treated as investment advice. The strategy presented would not be suitable for investors who are not familiar with exchange traded options. Any readers interested in this strategy should do their own research and seek advice from a licensed financial adviser.
