A lot of traders see losing trades as massive failures.
Some even get emotionally attached to their positions — they refuse to accept the loss and hold on until it becomes something much worse.
That right there is one of the biggest mistakes you can make in financial markets.

But here’s the truth:

Losing trades aren’t losses. They’re costs.
Staying in losing positions only increases your expenses — nothing else.
Understanding this is a cornerstone of surviving long-term in the markets.

Think in Terms of Cost, Not Loss — Treat Trading Like a Business

Stop treating trading and investing like a game full of numbers on a screen.
Start thinking like a business owner.

Let’s be real: Does a business owner consider salaries, rent, or electricity as “losses”?
Of course not.
Those are operational costs that must be paid to make a profit at the end.

Trading is no different. Losing trades are part of your cost structure — not failures.

Just like every business has costs (rent, taxes, wages…), trading has its own:

• Commissions
• Taxes on dividends
• And yes — losing trades

Losing trades are your rent. Your overhead.
And just like a smart business manages expenses to remain profitable,

A smart trader manages losses to stay in the game long-term.

99% of Traders Don’t Understand This

Most traders don’t treat their losses like business costs.
They get emotionally involved.
They can’t accept being wrong.
And because of that:

• They don’t use stop-loss
• They hold onto losses way too long
• They forget that success is measured over a series of trades, not just one

Want to succeed?

✔️ Cut losses early.
✔️ Zoom out — judge your performance over time, not trade by trade.
✔️ Manage your trades like you would manage a solid business.

Why Do Traders Who Refuse to Take Small Losses End Up With Big Ones?

Let’s break it down:

Imagine an entrepreneur expects to make 100,000 TL in profit per year,
but runs a business that costs 500,000 TL to operate annually.
How long do you think that’s going to last?

It’s not sustainable. And neither is trading if your losing trades keep piling up.

You can’t let costs outweigh your profits forever.
Eventually, you run out of capital. You blow up.

Instead:

✔️ Take small losses.
✔️ Focus on letting winners run.
✔️ Treat each trade as a cost or investment.
✔️ Don’t trade emotionally — be structured and disciplined.

Accept Small Losses to Avoid Big Ones

Great traders aren’t afraid of losing trades.
They accept them, because they know no system wins 100% of the time.

But if you manage your losses and avoid emotional decisions,
you won’t blow up — and you’ll stay in the game long enough to win.

So use stop-losses.
Cut the losers. Let the winners breathe.
And stop getting emotionally attached to your trades.

The market doesn’t punish you for losing.

It punishes you for not managing your losses.