Greed
The emotional drive to squeeze every last tick out of a trade, often turning winners into losers by refusing to take profit.
Greed is the emotion that makes you hold a winning trade longer than your plan dictates because you are convinced it will go further. It is the twin of fear and just as destructive.
At the screen: price hits your target, you move the target up. It hits the new target, you move it again. Then it reverses and you exit at breakeven or a loss on a trade that should have been a clean win.
The antidote is pre-committed targets. Write the exit price in your journal before you enter. When price gets there, exit — at least partially. Letting a winner breathe is strategy; refusing to take profit is greed with a strategy-flavoured disguise.
Example
You buy a stock at $50 with a target of $60. It reaches $60. You hold for $65. It reaches $65. You hold for $70. It reverses to $55 and you finally sell, having turned a 20% gain into a 10% gain while watching the whole thing unfold.
Related Terms
Euphoria
The dangerous overconfidence that follows a strong winning streak — the feeling that you can do no wrong, right before a major loss.
IntermediateFear
The emotional response to risk that causes premature exits on winning trades or paralysis when a valid setup appears.
BeginnerFOMO
The anxiety that everyone else is profiting while you sit on the sidelines, driving impulsive entries at the worst possible price.
BeginnerLoss Aversion
The psychological reality that losses hurt roughly twice as much as equivalent gains feel good — distorting risk decisions across the board.
IntermediateOvertrading
Taking too many trades — either too frequently or too large — beyond what your edge and account size can support.
BeginnerTrading Plan
A written document that defines your entry criteria, exit rules, position sizing, and daily loss limits before the market opens.
Beginner