Consolidation is not just about price stagnation; it's a knife cutting through your beliefs.

In the past two days of watching the market, I’ve realized a pattern: most retail investors ultimately fall in the market not because of poor technical skills or analysis, but for two words—lack of perseverance.

A recurring story: a certain coin, initially everyone imagines it can rise ten dollars, but what happens? It stays flat for three days, and everyone's confidence withers, expectations immediately cut in half to two dollars. No bad news, no change in logic, just no movement on the chart, and people's hearts start to collapse.

What truly destroys retail investors is never a sharp plunge. A crash is a single blow, and the pain passes in a few days. It’s the sideways movement that’s terrifying—it makes you doubt everything. That’s the most insidious harvesting machine in a bull market.

**Why does sideways trading torment people into giving up?**

There’s a classic phenomenon in market psychology called "Profit runs, loss holds"—when making money, you can’t hold back your fingers; a little profit makes you eager to cash out. When losing money, you stubbornly hold on, and once trapped, you start imagining the days when it will rebound.

Psychologists have conducted experiments showing that our attitudes toward gains and losses are fundamentally two different systems. When your account is in the green, your brain tells you to run quickly, fearing profits will evaporate; when it’s in the red, it says to hold on, maybe it will turn around.

This creates a vicious cycle: losing coins become long-term holdings, while winning coins are sold off as short-term. A bunch of trash coins are held in hand, while the truly profitable ones have already run away.

The story in crypto is the same. From $100 down to $1, you’re terrified but don’t dare to add to your position; from $1 to $0.6, you fall into self-deception—"It’s already this bad, might as well wait." When it rebounds, you’ve already exited, leaving only regret.

**Where is the true power of sideways movement?**

Sharp rises and falls give people reactions—excitement when it goes up, fear when it drops, at least emotions fluctuate, and decisions can still be made. But sideways is like boiling a frog in warm water—no stimulation, no turning point, only endless waiting and self-doubt.

You start asking yourself: Did I see this wrong? Should I exit now? No movement this month, how much longer to wait? A month of sideways can erode ninety percent of your confidence.

Most people’s limit is here—not defeated by the market, but by time. Holding for three days is bearable; after three weeks, frustration sets in; after three months, they’re already collapsing.

**How do the big earners survive?**

Simply put, they’ve figured out why they hold that coin. Either they believe in its fundamentals, set a distant price target, or they simply don’t look at short-term charts.

Once the logic is sound, sideways becomes an opportunity to accumulate chips. While others are doubting, you’re recharging—waiting for most to leave, so when the rebound comes, you’re already in position.

The simplest way to break the deadlock is this: before sideways begins, ask yourself—can I hold for three months without moving? If the answer is no, then reduce your holdings now. If yes, then turn off your trading app, stop watching the charts—watching makes it worse.

Sideways won’t kill those with firm beliefs, but it will grind down the skeptics. That’s the cruelest part of this market.