You put in the grind to develop solid trading habits, sharpen your market instincts, and establish your position. That hard-earned edge isn't some lucky break—it's the result of real work and genuine skill. Yet watch what happens when you casually mention trading at dinner: people dismiss years of discipline and strategy with a single word: "luck."

For anyone serious about the markets, that stings. You know the difference between stumbling into profit and strategically executing trades. You understand risk management, market cycles, and your own psychological triggers. You've felt the weight of decisions that could move your portfolio. The casual observer hasn't lived through that—the sleepless nights, the pattern recognition, the micro-adjustments that separate consistent traders from gamblers.

It's not arrogance to defend your work. It's accuracy.