Have you ever seen those trading interfaces? Bollinger Bands, MACD, RSI densely covering the screen, looking incredibly professional. And then? The more indicators piled up, the more confusing it gets, and one wrong move leads to losses.

It took me five years to truly realize: profitable traders, in essence, are all about subtraction.

They only believe in one ironclad rule — the trend is your friend, don’t go against the market.

Why do most people keep losing money? It’s simply these tactics: when the market is rising, they insist on guessing the top, trying to escape at the highest point; when the market is falling, they recklessly buy the bottom, convinced they can pick up bargains. The final result is that they only get a bite during the rise, but get trapped in "long-term investment" during the decline.

The truly effective trading principle is so simple: when the trend is upward, with moving averages in a bullish alignment, go long; when the trend is downward, with prices making new lows, just wait patiently. This isn’t fortune-telling, it’s about positioning correctly. If you stand in the right spot, time will help you make money; if you stand in the wrong spot, no matter how smart you are, there’s nothing you can do.

Some people fear "chasing highs," but the real issue isn’t which price you buy at; it’s whether the current trend is strong or not. When the market is strong, even if you get caught in the short term, the trend will help you get out; when the market is weak, even if you buy at the bottom, a rebound might just be a trap.

The cruelest reality is failing to hold onto profits. The common problem among ordinary traders is — holding on stubbornly after losses, taking profits and then leaving, but ending up holding losing positions as heirlooms, while winning trades rarely last beyond three K-line candles. The account is constantly active, but the balance never really increases.

What changes the account is never those frequent trades. There are only about 3 to 5 opportunities worth heavy positions in a whole year. The rest of the time, the market is just messing around, shaking out traders. Those who can ride a big wave all share the same trait: they dare to follow the trend when it arrives, cut losses when it breaks, and hold onto profits firmly.

The biggest challenge in trading isn’t technical methods, but whether you can stay "bored" during volatility. When the signal isn’t clear, control your impulses; don’t rush without a reason. The market never favors those who work hard; it only rewards those who master simplicity to the extreme.

Ultimately, complex analysis is sold at a high price, while simple trading rules are the real way to make money. Survivors in trading are trend followers, never market trolls.