The Screenshot Trap: Why Profits Mean Nothing Until You Close the Trade
Look at the screenshot carefully.
Big numbers. High ROI. Green PnL. Confidence in the air.
And then one simple question appears:
âSo, should I close it?â
That one question separates gamblers from traders.
In trading, screenshots are dangerous. Not because profits are bad, but because screenshots lie. They show a moment, not a result. They show potential, not reality. Until a position is closed, everything you see is temporary. The market hasnât paid you yet.
Most traders fall in love with open profit. They start calculating what they will buy, how smart they were, how easy trading is. The ego starts celebrating before the work is done. And thatâs exactly when the market punishes.
The market doesnât care about your ROI percentage.
It doesnât care about your margin size.
It doesnât care that you âalmostâ made money.
It only cares about one thing: Did you close the trade properly or not?
Open Profit Is Not Your Money
An open position is a promise, not a payment.
You can be up 200% right now, and still end the day at zeroâor worse.
Why?
Because leverage magnifies everything:
Profits feel exciting
Losses arrive fast
Emotions go out of control
When you see a big green number, the brain switches off risk management. You start thinking, âWhat if it goes higher?â instead of âWhat if it reverses?â
Professional traders donât ask, âHow much more can I make?â
They ask, âHow much can I protect right now?â
That mindset alone saves accounts.
The Power of Closing at the Right Time
Closing a trade is a skill.
Not early. Not late. On purpose.
Closing doesnât mean fear.
Closing means discipline.
Many traders think holding longer makes them brave. In reality, knowing when to exit makes you professional.
Markets move in waves. No move is infinite. When momentum slows, when structure breaks, when volume fadesâprofits must be respected.
A trader who closes in profit can trade again tomorrow.
A trader who waits for âjust a little moreâ often becomes a lesson.
Control Over Chaos
Notice something important in the conversation:
Before closing, a screenshot was requested.
Thatâs not about the image.
Thatâs about control.
Good traders donât act blindly. They verify:
Position size
Leverage
Liquidation level
Margin safety
Only then do they decide.
Impulse kills accounts.
Structure saves them.
If you cannot explain why youâre still in a trade, you shouldnât be in it.
Big ROI Doesnât Mean Smart Trading
A high ROI looks impressive, but it can hide bad habits:
Over-leverage
No stop-loss
Emotional holding
Luck mistaken for skill
Real trading success is boring:
Small mistakes
Consistent exits
Capital protection
Long-term survival
Anyone can have one big screenshot.
Very few can repeat it without blowing up.
The Silent Skill: Walking Away
One of the hardest things in trading is closing a profitable position and doing nothing afterward.
No revenge trade.
No overconfidence trade.
No âone more setup.â
Just silence.
That silence is where discipline lives.
The market will open again. Opportunities never end. But capital does.
Final Thought
If you remember only one thing, remember this:
The market rewards those who respect risk, not those who chase screenshots.
Profit is not what you see.
Profit is what you secure.
Close wisely.
Trade calmly.
And let your account grow quietly while others chase noise.
Because in trading, survival is the real victory.
