Why do real traders go through a period of silence?

Recently, the market has not been calm at all. Overseas, there is a repeated digestion of the uncertainty in the interest rate cut path, with ETF capital flowing back and forth; geopolitical and political games continuously create noise; domestically, the most discussed topic is no longer where to double your investment but how much longer this cycle will endure. The density of information is increasing, but the sense of direction is becoming thinner.

It is precisely during this stage that I have noticed a significant change: experienced traders are becoming quieter. They are not eager to interpret every piece of news, nor are they rushing to take sides in opinions, and they are definitely not in a hurry to prove they are still in the market. Silence is not due to a lack of judgment, but because, at this stage, judgment itself is more important than expression.

When the market loses a single narrative, with positive and negative factors canceling each other out, and any conclusion can be quickly refuted, the cycle is actually doing something very cruel but necessary: forcing people back to themselves. You have to reconfirm: what kind of money are you actually making? Is your advantage in trends, oscillation, or waiting? Are you in the trading market, or are you being led by emotions? No piece of news can answer these questions for you.

Zhuangzi said that quiet is the earth, and movement is the sky. In trading, this statement is exceptionally fitting. Many truly important changes do not occur during frequent operations, but rather during the stages when you choose to do nothing. You may think that is a blank period, but in reality, it is about stripping away ineffective judgments, layer by layer, removing the impulses of whether to act or worry about missing something.

Many people misunderstand silence, thinking that not speaking means having no ideas, not operating means missing opportunities, and not participating in discussions means being eliminated by the market. However, those who have gone through cycles understand that those who can go far almost always experience a period of not explaining positions, not participating in debates, and not rushing to conclusions. It is not because they know nothing, but because they understand that at this stage, stabilizing the internal system is more important than seizing any fluctuation.

Before every major market movement truly unfolds, the market first lets a portion of people say everything they want, and then lets another portion endure the time. The period of silence is precisely the watershed from being led by the market to beginning to choose your own rhythm.