You cannot decide the market, but you can decide whether to take action.
It is precisely because of this that the most important thing in a bear market is never judgment, but restraint.

When the market continues to decline, with prices fluctuating and rebounding daily before dropping again, many people cannot help but frequently enter and exit the market, trying to capture every small fluctuation. It looks like 'active trading,' but in reality, it often results in continuously consuming capital and confidence.

Because of high-frequency trading, money is slowly lost to the market.

In a bearish market, the main theme is decline and uncertainty.
There are many short-term rebounds, but their sustainability is usually not high. It is easy to get trapped by chasing in, and stop-loss orders are often repeated. Each entry and exit seems like just a small loss, but accumulated over time, the capital will shrink at a fast pace. As the hands move more frequently, the mentality becomes more and more impatient, and decision-making begins to lose discipline; this is when the real risk starts to amplify.

Many people lose everything in a bear market by being 'busy until losing it all,' rather than 'losing it all at once.'
Today doing short trades, tomorrow grabbing rebounds, and the day after chasing breakthroughs may seem like an effort to seize opportunities, but in reality, it’s giving back the principal bit by bit to the market. When a real big opportunity arises, the account may already lack sufficient funds and patience to endure volatility.

In a bear market, it's a contest of endurance, not speed.

A bear market is actually a test of endurance, not a race for speed.
Those who survive to the end are not necessarily the best traders, but rather those who can control their trading frequency and protect their principal. Trading less is essentially a form of risk management. When the market direction is unclear and the trend is unstable, being out of the market itself is a strategy.

Controlling the number of trades is the most important practice for investors in a bear market.
Every time you enter the market, you should ask yourself:
Is this a truly high-probability opportunity, or is it just a case of itchy fingers?
Is it based on a plan, or is it based on emotions?

If there is no clear reason, it is better to miss out than to participate casually.

because a bear market won't last just one day, nor will it present only one opportunity.
The moments truly worth investing heavily usually appear when the market is at its quietest and most desperate. At that time, those who still have intact capital and mindset can enter the market calmly. Those who have been constantly trading at high frequency in the early stages and have exhausted their principal can only watch from the sidelines, even if they see an opportunity.

So in a bear market
taking action a bit slower and less frequently is much better than frantic trading

Preserving principal means preserving future possibilities.
The market will always provide opportunities again, but the premise is that you are still in the game.