Dear traders,
A virus is rapidly spreading in our community. The evidence leads me to conclude that we are experiencing a global outbreak of "fuckarounditis." Although not found in medical literature, this term describes a phenomenon where traders focus on minor details and ignore what truly matters in the financial markets.
Fuckarounditis is a behavioral disorder characterized by a complete lack of profit despite endless screen time. It often manifests as an intense preoccupation with news, podcasts, short-term time frames, gurus on X, trading indicators, and various cryptocurrency "shitcoins" deemed worthless. A fear of trading higher time frames is another hallmark of this condition. The infected lack patience and consistency and apply questionable or unproductive trading practices.
Fuckarounditis prevalence can vary significantly based on a trader's experience. However, it is estimated that 80-90% of individuals within trading communities are affected. Human nature contributes to this issue, with traits such as greed, the search for a magic bullet, and the question "When Lambo?" allowing the disease to take hold. Symptoms often appear in young adulthood and may go undiagnosed for a lifetime.
Next, we will review and discuss the symptoms, preventative measures, and intervention strategies related to fuckarounditis. Keep reading.
Fuckarounditis: A Serious Threat
I worked in a completely different field when I first encountered chart analysis, and I quickly opened a trading account after only a few months of exploration. I discovered that I enjoyed trading and became interested in the subject. In my quest for wealth, I attempted to teach myself through trial and error, navigating a sea of unhelpful information.
I wasted time on the usual "to the moon" or crypto-inspired nonsense that many YouTubers promote, spending more time consuming their content than making money. A decade passed, and after experiencing the pain of blowing several trading accounts, I began to understand the importance of applying simple systems while ignoring the noise around me.
I have been thinking about helping people overcome fuckarounditis ever since I successfully freed myself from it. I consider it a serious threat to profitability and mental well-being. It is with shock and horror that I have watched an increasing number of individuals fall victim to this condition and the questionable trading practices it promotes. Let's examine how to identify and combat this dangerous trend.
The illusion of complexity
Trading-related fuckarounditis can lead to financial ruin. I know this from personal experience: I have gone bust one too many times, only learning through pain. The Internet provides fertile ground for this disease to take hold of us. There is overwhelming clutter, noise, unsupported theories, and misguided advice. Welcome to the information age.
Much of this information is essentially nonsense presented in flashy charts with elaborate details, claiming to offer cutting-edge strategies based on the best indicators. This makes it easier to fool intellectuals and those searching for quick fixes—two groups susceptible to misleading information and easy targets for scam artists.
One surprising observation is the apparent disconnect between IQ and "trading wisdom"—essentially, common sense and knowledge regarding trading fundamentals. I've encountered many traders with strong academic backgrounds and impressive financial success in their respective fields, yet some struggle profoundly with trading.
At the heart of the fuckarounditis epidemic is the overwhelming abundance of available information: this creates the illusion of complexity. The many options can lead us to believe that what seems like a good decision is actually the opposite—often a result of whatever trendy strategy is currently in vogue. However, regarding trading strategies, the right choices are limited and straightforward. Fundamental trading principles remain constant, yet many overlook them. Continue reading.
"I see broke traders."
In my dreams? No. Everywhere. Yes. They walk around like ordinary people but don't see each other. They only see what they want to see and refuse to admit they are losing money. The afflicted are everywhere: the nerdy guy who coded the latest best indicator, the crypto douchebag who hopes to get rich quickly, and the hobbyist trader with a four-screen setup filled with all the bells and whistles devoted to trading.
Keep in mind that fuckarounditis is a disease that sneaks up on you and progresses gradually. Some people may walk around with a mild case that does not entirely impair their trading results in the early stages. For others, the disease has progressed to a severe state, dramatically interfering with their progress and often stalling it completely.
Finally, some are nearly lost, and for whom there is little hope of a cure. Unfortunately, these individuals will probably never read this. They are too busy emulating the latest trading guru, trading on the 5-minute chart, and hopping from newsletter to newsletter.
How can you tell if you are suffering from fuckarounditis? Ultimately, it comes down to your results and whether your progress is reasonable relative to your investment time.
Despite the time spent, if your account shows little to no growth or consistent losses, it's a sign that you might be suffering from this affliction.
The Fuckarounditis Test
Please review these seven common symptoms and behaviors associated with fuckarounditis. If you recognize yourself in any of these you must immediately cease the behavior and implement the necessary changes. There is no time to waste.
1. You're overtrading
My most significant gains have come from concentrating on one or two assets. You'll likely perform better with Gold and U.S. indexes like SPY or the Nasdaq. Perhaps Bitcoin if that's your cup of tea. It's rare to find more than a few uncorrelated bets worth taking, as many assets tend to move together. If you chase every rabbit, you will catch none: the odds of spotting a single stock or cryptocurrency that will skyrocket are minuscule. This approach reduces your trading time while maximizing your profits. What's not to like?
The point is that most people are trading too many assets. This dilutes the focus and effort they can put into what really delivers results.
2. You follow the news
Whenever I see an aspiring trader sharing the latest finance influencer post, alarm bells go off. I have been there myself, misguided, unproductive, and distracted. We are suffering the "TikTokization" of trading; overreaction to every piece of news and price action wiggles. You better reduce the noise.
You will make more money if you block the nonsense: your goal is to remain unaffected by news, podcasts, and forecasts and instead focus on high time frame trends and trading cycles. With a reasonable stop loss, you won't have to worry about a thing.
The news is irrelevant: everyone interprets it differently. You may think the news is bullish for the market, but other traders may interpret it as bearish. You can't predict how others will analyze the information. You're likely to perform better if you exclusively focus on price.
3. Your position size is too big.
Greed makes you take wild, reckless risks, and guess what? The market loves to school the greedy. It'll give you the kind of lesson where you're left crying into your coffee mug. But here's the trick: keep your bets small. Small position sizes mean you're not on an emotional rollercoaster. You've got the wiggle room to maneuver, learn from your mistakes, and bounce back from losses without going broke.
Remember, in trading, surviving is the real victory, because if you stick around long enough, you'll see some green. The longer you last in the market, the more opportunities you have to make money.
The Small Bet = Big Wins Formula:
- Small Position Size = Chill vibes, less stress, no heart attacks from market dips.
- No Big Losses = More chances to play, learn, and eventually laugh all the way to the bank.
Keep it small, and keep trading!
4. You break your own rules
Oh, the irony! You've set up this beautiful, intricate trading system like a Rube Goldberg machine for making money. But what do you do? You go and break your own rules. You know you shouldn't, but you still do it. It's like an invisible force that stops you from doing the right thing.
You move your stop loss. Because, this time, the market will turn around, right? Or you trade against the trend because "this time it's different." Or you don't wait for daily and weekly closes.
Patience? What's that? You see a candle winking at you halfway through, and you're in faster than a bullet, only to watch it close in the opposite direction. You change strategies: one day, you're a scalper; the next, a swing trader; then suddenly, you're into options because someone on X said it's the way to riches. You're the ultimate Jack of all trades, master of none.
It's not just your portfolio that's taking a hit; your mental health is on the line. You don't need to be wise to make money; you must control your emotions. In trading, sometimes the most brilliant move is to do nothing. Or at least, nothing stupid. If you are in a hole, stop digging. Cut your losses and live to trade another day.
5. You don't keep it simple
Einstein said there are four levels of high intelligence: bright, brilliant, genius, and simple. Your trading should be simple. Forget about being a genius with complex algorithms or trying to decode black holes. Keep. It. Simple. You've got more indicators on your chart than a dashboard in a spaceship. MACD, RSI, Trendlines, Bollinger Bands, Fibonacci retracement, Stochastics, Pivot points, Ichimoku Clouds... Simplify!
Richard Dennis, a commodities speculator who turned $1,600 into $350 million, once claimed he could post his entire trading rules on the front page of the Wall Street Journal, and still, 90% would lose money. Why? Because it's not about the system; it's about your ability to follow it. You can give someone the map to buried treasure, but if they don't follow the directions, they'll wander aimlessly.
It's about having a strategy with a slight edge and sticking to it like glue. Even a plan as simple as "buy above the 200 moving average, sell below" can work if you don't deviate from it. The Holy Grail of trading is managing risk.
6. You lack patience.
You're in a rush to make money before your coffee gets cold. You're glued to the screen every tick, every candle, expecting a plot twist. But unlike reality TV, where drama is guaranteed, the market can be as boring as watching paint dry - and just as profitable if you don't have patience. You can't plant a seed in the morning and expect a tree by evening. Patience is about understanding that growth takes time; sometimes, you must wait for the trade to do its thing.
You think the market should bend to your impatience, but it's more like an old, wise tortoise - slow, steady, and completely indifferent to your rush. The market doesn't care about your schedule. You can't rush it. The market rewards patience, not haste. Slow down, and maybe, just maybe, you'll find that the best trades are the ones you wait for, not chase after. In trading, the impatient pays the patient. Don't be the sucker!
7. You blame others
The guy from that paid newsletter? He's not the reason your bank account is empty. You jump from one guru to another, hoping they will share the secrets that got them rich, and you will only need to copy them to have the same results. You believe trading is all about picking the perfect entry and exit points, and you ignore the authentic secret sauce, risk management. No guru can do that for you. Ultimately, you've got to be your own captain, not just a passenger on someone else's ship.
You may think the problem is that you need much bigger capital to trade. The classic "if only I had more money, I wouldn't make these rookie mistakes" excuse. Newsflash: more money means you can lose more money faster. Or maybe it's the market's fault -"the cartel"- those evil shadowy figures manipulating price action behind the scenes.
The market doesn't care about your excuses; it moves on with or without you. Instead of pointing fingers at everyone and everything else, it may be time to look in the mirror. Trust your analysis, manage your risks, and keep a journal of your trading woes. Because in trading, the only person you can honestly blame for your losses is yourself.
The cure for fuckarounditis
- Define your strategy. Choose one or two strategies that align with your risk tolerance and market understanding. Stick with them until they are second nature.
- Set processed-oriented goals. Have specific, measurable goals for each trading month and year. Did you honor all your stop losses? Did you take profits at targets? Did you mistakenly go into trades?
- Get crystal clear on what assets you want to trade. Cut out anything else. For me, it's Gold and silver. I don't trade individual stocks, I don't trade miners, and I surely don't trade the South Korean Won versus the Lebanese Pound. I like that I am familiar with the precious metals, the speed at which their movements happen, and their trading cycles. Choose a couple of assets and ignore the rest.
- Develop a daily trading routine. This includes pre-market analysis, live trading hours, and post-market review. Consistency in your routine reduces the room for fuckarounditis.
- Limit information. Curate your sources. Don't let every piece of news or tweet dictate your trades. Focus on reliable, relevant analysis that supports your strategy.
- Methodically track your numbers month-to-month and year-to-year with a trading diary. Regularly review your trades to learn from successes and failures. Adjust your strategy based on performance, not whims or market noise.
Conclusion
Trading is not about quick wins or shortcuts—it's about building consistent success through focus and discipline. By understanding and addressing fuckarounditis, you can shift from being an amateur to a professional trader. It's time to treat your trading like a business and start making money!
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-This is an adaptation of the original "fuckarounditis" article by Martin Berkhan