The Hidden Tug-of-War Inside Every Indian Trader
Explore how Freud’s instincts and fear of success influence Indian traders’ self-sabotage. Learn mindset shifts to build trading consistency. You’re doing everything “right.”
Strategy—checked.
Backtesting—done.
Risk management—tight.
Yet… you still overtrade on expiry days. You exit early from winning trades. You add to your losing positions. And the worst part? You know better.
Sound familiar?
This invisible inner war isn’t about lack of knowledge. It’s not even about your broker or bad luck. It’s deeper. It’s psychological. And at the heart of it is something Freud once hinted at—and every aspiring Indian trader must understand:
Self-sabotage isn’t weakness. It’s learned behavior that can be unlearned.
Let’s dig into why some traders consistently derail their own growth—through the lens of Freud’s life and death instincts, and how societal imprints foster a fear of success that many never identify.
🎯 Freud’s Life vs Death Instincts: How Pleasure and Pain Rule Your Trades
Freud believed that all human actions are governed by two deep instincts:
- Eros (Life Instinct) – Drives you toward pleasure, growth, survival.
- Thanatos (Death Instinct) – Pulls you subtly toward destruction, risk, or regression.
In trading:
- Eros makes you want to win, grow your capital, and become financially free.
- Thanatos shows up when you chase losses, revenge trade, or ignore your trading plan.
But here’s the kicker: Freud himself doubted the “death instinct” theory later in life.
He noticed a strange pattern—people kept replaying past trauma. Soldiers returned from war, haunted. Patients ruminated on childhood failures.
Similarly, Indian traders relive that one big loss… or that one perfect trade they exited too early.
Why?
Because your brain isn’t always wired for success. It’s wired for familiarity. Even if that familiarity is painful.
🧨 Self-Sabotage in Trading: Not a Death Wish, But a Learned Pattern
Let’s bust a myth:
You’re not biologically wired to destroy yourself. But you may be socially conditioned to fear your own success.
Sounds odd?
Consider this:
- A woman trader from Delhi grows up hearing, “Share market is a man’s game.”
- A young guy from a Tier 3 town hears, “Stock market is gambling, stick to a government job.”
- A middle-class father says, “Don’t aim too high. Settle down.”
Over time, these become your internal rules.
So even when you start trading well, your subconscious feels unsafe.
Success feels like betrayal.
So what do you do?
You unconsciously sabotage:
- Skipping setups
- Doubling down on losses
- Not journaling
- Getting greedy at tops
- Cutting winners too soon
These aren’t trading mistakes.
They’re psychological rebellions against an identity you’ve been told you don’t deserve.
🧠 Fear of Success: The Silent Killer of Trading Consistency
Most Indian traders fear losses.
But a few brave ones must confront something worse:
Fear of what happens if they actually win.
Why?
Because success demands change:
- From employee mindset to entrepreneur mindset
- From “safety-first” to calculated risk
- From following advice to independent thinking
- From familiar struggle to unknown freedom
Change threatens your self-image. Especially if it contradicts what your family, society, or childhood taught you.
So, you unconsciously return to your comfort zone—losses, confusion, indecision.
It’s not laziness. It’s protection.
Your brain is trying to keep you “safe”—even if that safety is mediocrity.
🏏 Desi Analogy: Why Some Batsmen Never Step Out of the Crease
Imagine a cricketer who always plays on the back foot. He has the talent to hit sixes, but chooses to defend—even when the ball is in the slot.
Why?
Because as a child, his coach screamed, “Don’t take risks!”
Even when the situation demands aggression, he hesitates. He doesn’t trust himself to step out.
That’s what most traders do.
They stick to defense—even when the market screams “Play your shot!”
Because deep inside, they fear getting out more than they crave scoring runs.
That’s the heart of self-sabotage.
🧘♂️ Breaking the Cycle: How to Overcome Subconscious Barriers
Step 1 – Acknowledge the Pattern
Stop blaming lack of discipline. Start observing:
- Do you trade worse after a big win?
- Do you feel guilty about making more than your salary?
- Do you repeat the same mistake after progress?
If yes, you’re not broken. You’re conditioned.
Step 2 – Name the Message
Ask yourself:
“What did I learn growing up about success, money, and risk?”
Journal it.
You’ll often uncover statements like:
- “Money doesn’t grow on trees.”
- “Rich people are selfish.”
- “Stability is better than ambition.”
Step 3 – Challenge the Lie
Just because it’s familiar doesn’t mean it’s true.
- Money is a tool, not evil.
- Risk is part of growth.
- Stability without growth is decay.
Use affirmations, therapy, or mentorship—but don’t accept inherited beliefs without examination.
Step 4 – Rewire Through Action
Only repeated action rewires the brain.
- Take that setup even if you’re scared.
- Follow your stop-loss no matter what.
- Book profits without guilt.
Success gets safer with repetition.
🧠 What You Should Remember
- Freud’s theories reveal that humans don’t just chase pleasure; they repeat pain.
- In trading, that shows up as self-sabotage driven by subconscious fear.
- You weren’t born to fail. But you might’ve been taught to expect failure.
- Fear of success is real, especially if you’re the “first” in your family doing this.
- You can rewrite the script. One conscious trade at a time.
📣 Final Thoughts: Success is a Skill, Not a Sin
To every Indian trader reading this:
You’re not just learning charts. You’re learning to outgrow psychological scripts written long before you placed your first trade.
The journey isn’t just technical—it’s emotional, societal, and spiritual.
You’re not just fighting the market.
You’re fighting the old version of yourself that was told:
“You can’t do this. You’re not meant for this.”You are.
The market doesn’t care about your past.
But your future?
That depends on what you choose to believe next.
Why do I panic and close winning trades too early?
Because subconsciously, you don’t feel safe holding success. Your mind expects reversal.
Why do I break my rules after 3–4 winning trades?
Fear of success often sabotages consistent progress by creating guilt or pressure
How do I know if I have a fear of success in trading?
If progress creates anxiety, guilt, or over-caution—you might be fearing the very outcome you want.
Can journaling help break self-sabotage patterns?
Yes. It builds awareness, helps spot recurring emotional triggers, and rewires identity over time.
Is self-sabotage permanent in trading?
Not at all. It’s a habit—not a destiny. With awareness and action, it can be unlearned.