We’ve all been in stressful situations where we understood exactly what to do, but still did the opposite.
For example, if you’ve ever traded crypto or stocks, you probably know how hard it is to exit a position when you clearly see the price moving against you.
You see the loss. You know you should sell to save the rest of your money. But you just can’t do it.
Why does this happen? 🤩
🔘 Loss > profit
Kahneman and Tversky found out that people experience losses 2-2.5 times more intensely than similar profits. That’s why selling at a loss feels so painful. Emotionally, the brain treats losses much more seriously than potential gains.
🔘 FOMO
Around 68% of crypto investment decisions are made under the influence of FOMO and predictions on X/Twitter.
That’s one of the main reasons why so many people lose money in this market every day.
🔘 You look for confirmation
This is called confirmation bias.
The brain naturally notices information that supports the decision we’ve already made. For example, if someone buys a token, they’ll focus mostly on bullish opinions and ignore bearish ones.
How to train your financial awareness
✅ The 24-hour rule
Any unplanned financial decision should be postponed for 24 hours. During this time, emotion loses its power, so you can see things more clearly.
✅ Financial diary
Write down not only what you bought or sold, but also why you did it. After a month or two, you’ll begin to understand your behavior and decision-making patterns much better.
✅ Three questions
Before buying anything, ask yourself:
• Am I acting out of fear or calculation?
• What will change in a year if I don’t do this?
• Do I genuinely want this, or do I feel pressured to buy it?
✅ Take breaks from social media
News channels and crypto chats are designed to make us feel a certain way. The less you consume, the better you understand what you actually want.
🤩 By the way, you can also try completing our Winter Marathon with 8 steps inside it. This will help you make better financial decisions.