I have always refrained from writing. As a hopeless abstract thinker, translating my internal process into words feels unnatural and difficult. Combine this with a slightly annoying tendency to drift into the philosophical and existential, think about the nature of reality rather than just the mechanics of it, and writing something useful and concrete is a challenge.

However, I realised that this 'existential' mindset is exactly what improved my trading. In this piece, I want to bridge that gap.

The aim is to try and explain a change of mindset that improved my daily life drastically as well as my trading and PnL. It could be quite small and insignificant for some, but it gave me so much that I guess it's worth sharing.

I will try to not make this too philosophical/existential (bear with me) but make it applicable to a trader by giving a concrete phenomenon all traders are familiar with.

The fundamental truth of the universe is that everything flows. Reality is not a collection of solid, unmoving objects; it is a process of constant movement.

Even at the deepest level of physics, reality refuses to be just "one thing."

Light acts as a particle (a solid dot) and a wave (a fluid motion).

It doesn’t switch back and forth. It is effectively both, depending on how it is observed. Paradox is the default state of the universe. Nothing stands still, and nothing is purely one thing or the other.

This universal reality creates a fundamental friction in the human condition:

We are static-seeking creatures living in a dynamic universe.

If the essence of everything, from the light hitting our eyes to the market prices on the screen, is paradoxical and fluid, why do we strive to be binary, static, or singular?

We are very good at trapping ourselves in simple stories. It feels safer, makes things understandable, and costs less energy. But by trying to be "only disciplined" or "just logical," you are fighting the very nature of existence. You are attempting to be a particle without the wave.

The idea of fluidity and paradox is terrifying and tiring to the human mind. To feel safe and save energy, the brain tries to "understand" reality by freezing it.

We create Binaries: Good/Bad, Success/Failure, Safe/Dangerous.

The error lies here: When you try to freeze something fluid to "understand" it, you destroy its momentum. You observe it without its fluid component, which is what makes it what it is. You miss its essence.

The Price of binary thinking as a trader: When a trader defines themselves as "a disciplined trader" (a static label), they are unintentionally creating a strict internal rule:

"I must not feel fear."

This creates a fragility in their psychological architecture. Because they are human, they will inevitably experience fear or doubt. However, because they have defined their identity strictly (disciplined) and view it as a two-dimensional spectrum between disciplined and fear, their brain interprets this normal biological signal as a failure.

Instead of seeing the fear as simply "information," the brain sees it as proof that the identity is false. The logic runs:

"I am feeling fear, therefore I am not disciplined. Therefore, I am failing."

This triggers shame and panic, causing the trader's confidence to collapse exactly when they need it most.

If the problem is "Binary Thinking," the solution is Dialectic Thinking.

The old greek philosophers came up with it but I am using the version of the German philosopher Hegel.

He described a thinking process consisting of a Thesis (an idea) which is challenged by an Antithesis (the conflicting reality). The tension between these two leads to a better idea: the Synthesis.

(Note: Originally I didn’t know about this term. It took a while to find out it fits what I changed in my own head, but now I can sound cool by using it.)

In trading terms:

• Thesis: "I am a disciplined trader."

• Antithesis: "I am feeling afraid."

• Binary Result: "I am broken."

• Dialectic Synthesis: "I am a professional executing with courage while feeling scared."

At this point, a skeptical voice usually comes up:

“Wait. If I just accept that I’m fearful or messy, isn’t that just an excuse? Isn’t that giving up?”

This is the binary trap disguised as ambition. It operates on the belief that you must hate who you are now in order to become who you want to be later.

But in trading (and navigation), you cannot reach a new location if you lie about your starting point.

By acknowledging the "messy" reality of your nature, you aren't refusing to fix yourself. You are simply getting an accurate reading of the instrument (you) so you can actually calibrate it.

To use Dialectic Thinking is not to say, "I am fearful, so I will always be fearful."

It is to say, "I am fearful right now, AND I am still capable of following my plan."

That is not laziness; that is a high form of discipline.

How do we apply this philosophy practically? I found a solution based on semantics. It sounds simple, but for me it created a massive shift.

The Problem with "BUT"

When a trader uses the word "BUT" ("I am disciplined, but I am afraid"), they create a conditional dependency. The brain hears: "I can only execute the trade IF the fear is gone." This turns the emotion into a roadblock.

The "BUT" connects the emotion to the action, making the action impossible as long as the emotion exists.

The Power of "AND"

We need to break the wire between the feeling and the action. The most efficient tool for this is the word "AND." "AND" is not a magic spell; it is a semantic trick that changes your perception.

• "BUT" creates Fusion: You are merged with the emotion.

• "AND" creates Decoupling: You are observing the emotion.

When a trader says, "I am afraid, AND I am executing the trade," they are mechanically decoupling their biology from their duty. They acknowledge the fear (validation) while executing the plan (commitment).

They can feel scared and trade like a G.O.A.T. simultaneously.

To make this tangible, let's apply it to the most common trap: Confidence.

The Static Mind views Confidence and Results as two fixed destinations. It tells a linear story:

"First I get Results, then I will arrive at Confidence."

Prove yourself, then believe in yourself.

But because reality is fluid, this static view fails. In the real world, Confidence and Results are currents in a feedback loop.

Belief feeds Action → Action feeds Results → Results feed Belief..

Internal Reflexivity This is in some way similar to George Soros’ concept of Reflexivity. Soros argued that market participants don't just observe the market; their perceptions change the market.

The same applies internally. You are the instrument. Your perception of yourself changes you.

• If you use "BUT", you judge the instrument as broken because it feels fear. This creates friction and stops the loop.

• If you use "AND", you accept the instrument's current state. This removes the friction, keeps the loop spinning, and allows you to execute cleanly despite the fear.

Ultimately, understanding one's own nature is the ultimate trading edge.

The market is a paradox: chaotic yet structured.

The trader is a paradox: a logical thinker and an emotional mammal.

Forcing oneself into a simple box ("I must be a robot") triggers self-destruction because it sets a standard that cannot be met.

But using Dialectic Thinking to accept complexity, realising one can be fearful and confident, uncertain and decisive, ends the internal conflict.

It allows you to stop fighting an unnecessary and ever lasting battle. It's not the magic solution, but it allowed me to be in a mindset that makes it possible to improve.

Treat it as an opener for a way of thinking rather than a guide or an answer.

Thanks <3