I Can Resist Everything Except Temptation (Oscar Wilde)

Ah, Oscar Wilde—the master of witty phrases that make us laugh while forcing us to look in the mirror. «I can resist everything except temptation» is one of those gems that resonates with anyone who’s tried to maintain discipline in life, and in my case, especially in the world of financial trading.

It’s not just an elegant joke; it’s a raw truth about how we are, particularly in a market that seems designed to test our willpower. In a universe full of confusing signals, volatility, and promises of quick gains, Wilde might as well be talking about a forex chart whispering «buy now» when your strategy is screaming «wait.»

Picture this: you’re staring at a screen, the EUR/USD flirting with a key support level, and everything in you wants to jump into the trade because you «feel» it’s the perfect moment.

Your plan says to wait for clear confirmation—maybe a moving average crossover (5 & 34 for 15-min candles are my choice) or a macro data point to back it up—but that little inner voice, that temptation disguised as intuition, pushes you to act. I’ve been there more times than I care to admit in my years as a trader and consultant.

In the market, temptation doesn’t come in the form of forbidden apples; it arrives as a streak of bullish candles that make you forget the risk, or a social media rumor promising the next big rally. Resisting everything else—the temporary losses, the infinite patience—is doable with practice, but the temptation to skip the rules? That’s the kryptonite of any investor.

It’s not about giving up ambition, of course not; Wilde wasn’t an ascetic, and neither am I. It’s about redirecting that energy toward decisions that add up in the long run. In trading, I’ve seen colleagues fall into the trap of overleveraging on a «hunch,» only to watch their accounts evaporate.

Think of the investor who withstands daily volatility but can’t ignore the FOMO (fear of missing out) when an asset like Bitcoin skyrockets. They’re the living example: you can dodge flawed analyses or fake news, but the temptation of «just this once» is the real enemy.

So, the next time the market tempts you with a dubious setup, remember Wilde—and yourself: the true victory lies in resisting the irresistible, and who knows, maybe that’s the key to the rewards that are truly worthwhile.