Trading- The Most Relative Profession in the World

[m_c_jacob]

Introduction
Most professions operate within clear boundaries of right and wrong, success and failure. A doctor either saves the patient or doesn’t. An engineer either builds a stable bridge or one that collapses. But trading doesn’t work like that.
In trading, “being right” and “being wrong” are relative. Two traders can look at the exact same market, take opposite positions, and both can be right. At the same time, they can both be wrong. This relativity is what makes trading not only fascinating, but also psychologically challenging.

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Why “Being Right” Is an Illusion in Trading

Many traders fall into the trap of needing to be right. They celebrate when their forecast matches the price action, and they criticize others when opinions diverge. But trading isn’t about intellectual debates — it’s about execution, timing, and money management.
You can make the perfect call, but if you enter at the wrong time or exit poorly, you still lose. Conversely, you can be “wrong” in your forecast, yet still make money because you managed your trade correctly.

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A Real Example: Gold’s Price Action Yesterday
Take gold, for instance:
• Trader A says: “Gold will rise.”
• Trader B says: “Gold will fall.”
Who is right? The answer is not straightforward.
• Gold made a new all-time high during the day — Trader A can claim victory.
• Gold sold off after — Trader B can also claim victory.
But here’s the twist:
• Trader A was wrong if he bought at the very top before the selloff.
• Trader B was wrong if he sold too early at 3860 before the new ATH.
This example shows how trading doesn’t operate in absolutes. The market gives both validation and punishment, depending not only on the direction, but also on timing and execution.

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Timeframe Relativity: Scalper vs. Swing Trader
This relativity becomes even more visible when we compare a scalper with a swing trader — in fact, this is where it shows itself most clearly.
Consider this scenario:
• The scalper buys against the larger trend, catching a quick 50-pip bounce from intraday volatility.
• The swing trader sells with the dominant trend, holding for several days and capturing 300 pips once the broader move unfolds.

At first glance, their positions contradict each other. One is long, the other is short. Yet both can be right — and both can make money — simply because they operate on different timeframes, with different objectives and risk tolerances.

Don’t believe me? Here’s a real and concrete example: back in 2022, I shorted BTC heavily and made strong profits. At the same time, a good friend of mine kept buying into weakness and applying a DCA strategy.
Who was right?
The answer, again, is relative. I was right in the medium term — profiting from the bearish momentum. My friend was right in the long term — building a position that paid off when the market eventually recovered.
This is the purest example of relativity in trading: the same market, moving in both directions, rewarding two very different strategies.

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The Key Lesson
Trading is not about proving a point. It’s not about winning an argument on social media or showing that your market call was correct. It’s about managing trades in a way that consistently extracts profits, regardless of who “guessed” the move better.

The market doesn’t reward opinions. It rewards discipline and risk control. Always remember:
• Entries are relative.
• Exits define success.
• Risk is king. A “right” prediction with poor risk management can still end in disaster.

In other words: you don’t get paid for being right — you get paid for good execution and risk management.

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Why Relativity Matters
Understanding the relativity of trading helps in three ways:

1. It kills the ego. You stop caring about being right and start caring about making money.
2. It reduces conflicts. Another trader’s opposite view doesn’t threaten yours; both can co-exist.
3. It shifts focus. The conversation moves from “Was I right?” to “Was my trade profitable?”

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Conclusion
Trading is the most relative profession in the world because “truth” in markets is never absolute. Two traders can both be right, both be wrong, or both at once.
What separates successful traders from the rest is not their ability to “predict,” but their ability to trade with discipline, adapt to changing conditions, and manage risk.
In the end, the scoreboard is your trading account — not your pride in being right.