Pessimists Are Usually Right, But Still Lose

🟣 Tradetopia Field Notes — Issue #28 - September 15, 2025

The Superpower Nobody Talks About

Losses, glitches, bad fills, missed trades… they’re going to happen.

And the difference between traders who spiral and traders who scale isn’t their strategy. It’s whether they can pull the silver lining out of every situation.

Because if you can, you become unbothered. And being unbothered is a superpower in trading.

When the Screen Goes Black

One of our traders recently shared how she was $200 away from passing a challenge when her platform glitched. Screen went black. She logged back in, account down $1,000.

She did everything right. Disciplined risk, patient progress, solid setups. And the platform just robbed her.

I’ve been there. Millions in funding lost to variables out of my control.

And in that moment, the only thing that matters is this: how fast can you reframe it?

If you blame yourself, you spiral.

If you quit, you confirm the story.

But if you extract the silver lining, you walk away stronger.

How to Reframe in Real Time

Here’s what I use:

1. Eight-Hour Rule. I ask myself: Am I going to care about this in eight hours? The answer is always no. So why waste the energy now?

2. Separate the source. Was it me, or was it the platform? If it’s outside my control, it’s not worth identity damage.

3. Reframe the gain. Every setback adds awareness. Glitch = backup plan. Loss = more data on your system. Missed trade = proof your setup works.

4. Choose unbothered. Neutrality is a choice. The more you practice it, the harder it becomes to shake you.

The Optimist Advantage

Here’s the deeper truth: pessimists are right most of the time.

They’ll tell you challenges are rigged. That payouts are hard. That the market is stacked against you. And they’re not wrong.

But the pessimist never wins because they already closed the door.

The optimist, on the other hand? They’re the only ones even giving themselves the chance. They know glitches, losses, setbacks, they’re all part of the game. And still, they choose to move forward.

That’s the silver lining mindset. You can acknowledge the setback and still believe in the outcome.

And in trading, the optimist always has the better risk-to-reward, because they stay in the game long enough for probability to tilt their way.

Final Thoughts

The best traders don’t avoid pain. They alchemize it.

Every glitch, every stop out, every frustrating miss can either drain you or strengthen you.

The silver lining is always there. The faster you find it, the faster you move forward.

And forward is the only direction that matters.

Filed: [September 2025] | Location: Behind the Screens [Chicago]