Kroll on how to get out of the Losers' Mentality: "Analyse your markets and lay out your strategy and tactical moves in advance, and in privacy. Don't ask anyone's advice, and that includes' brokerage advisories, tips and even well-intentioned market gossip. And, don't offer your advice to anyone else. You shouldn't care if Shearson is buying ABC or if Salomon is selling XYZ. You should stick to your objective analysis and market projection based on whichever method or technique has proven viable for you; and you should revise that strategy only on the basis of pragmatic and objective technical evidence. Such evidence could be a signal from your chart analysis, your computer system or from the margin department, which reminds you that your position has moved adversely and that your account has become undermargined. In short, if you make money in your trading, stand up and accept the accolades and the financial rewards. But if you lose money, you alone should accept the responsibility. You must have confidence to trade in the marker, because the most serious 'loss' of all is the 'loss' of confidence in your ability to trade independently and successfully. If you don't have that confidence, you probably shouldn't be making any trades, except to close out adverse positions to limit your loss exposure. The list of speculators' laments goes on, but they all seem generally related to carelessness or poor trade timing, misjudgement of the market trend, ignorance of the basic tenets of sound strategy, or lack of self-confidence and discipline. Serious introspection suggests this thesis: a sound strategy, viable tactics and good money management, and consistent risk control are even more important to overall success than a good technical or charting method."