Hi,
Pretty lively discussion here and interesting one too.
Trading is intense and most people think they can trade and make money after trying out the
demo version. And suddenly with real money on the line they choke and things start to spiral downwards from there.
Why mentors? simply becoz he can decrease your learning curve. He can boost your confidence, stop you from making same mistakes. Just like in sports, you need a coach to point out those small mistakes which sometimes you fail to notice.
On your own its possible if you can last 2 years and not wash down your account. I have changed a hundred systems and tried my hand at everything I could get my hand on. My problem as it seems is finding a system to suit my personality. I am getting there.
Just like some people are born athletes, artists or to play music, some are meant to trade. They have tremendous appetite to take risks and think differently than others. They tend to take losses better than others.Their learning curve is the smallest.
So does it mean the rest of us are destined to fail? Maybe not. If it can be done by one, it can be done by others. You have to outlast the learning curve. A mentor can shorten it.
But ultimately you are resonsible for your own success. Many great traders have learnt to trade alone and there are quite a few among us.