Comparing results with other people online
Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2026 6:40 am
A screenshot appears. Up 40% this month. Suddenly a decent 3% feels pathetic.
Comparison is a quiet account killer. The screenshot shows one number from one period, with no information about risk, account size, strategy, or what happened in the previous month. It might come from a demo, a different time zone, an account about to blow up, or a skilled trader taking enormous risk.
The effect on behavior is predictable. Dissatisfaction leads to bigger positions, new strategies, or abandoned discipline. The desire to catch up overrides sensible risk management.
A healthier benchmark is personal: compare current results with the plan and with past performance, adjusted for risk. Progress in process matters more than progress in raw return.
Forums that encourage honest sharing, including losses, make comparisons less toxic.
It's also worth remembering that the loudest voices online are a biased sample. People who are doing well post more often, and those who aren't go quiet. The comparison is rigged before it begins.
How is the pull of other people's results handled, and has comparison ever led to a poor decision?
Comparison is a quiet account killer. The screenshot shows one number from one period, with no information about risk, account size, strategy, or what happened in the previous month. It might come from a demo, a different time zone, an account about to blow up, or a skilled trader taking enormous risk.
The effect on behavior is predictable. Dissatisfaction leads to bigger positions, new strategies, or abandoned discipline. The desire to catch up overrides sensible risk management.
A healthier benchmark is personal: compare current results with the plan and with past performance, adjusted for risk. Progress in process matters more than progress in raw return.
Forums that encourage honest sharing, including losses, make comparisons less toxic.
It's also worth remembering that the loudest voices online are a biased sample. People who are doing well post more often, and those who aren't go quiet. The comparison is rigged before it begins.
How is the pull of other people's results handled, and has comparison ever led to a poor decision?