The most heartbreaking thing about contract trading isn't getting the direction wrong, but clearly seeing the right one and still being forced out before the market starts.

I have a friend who experienced this firsthand. He held his position and persisted for several days, and in the end, it wasn't the market that knocked him out, but the funding fees gradually eroded his principal, leading to a forced liquidation. Ironically, less than two days after his position was closed, the market he predicted started to move. At that moment, he finally understood—he didn't lose to the market; he lost to the rules of this game.

The contract market hides invisible knives, specifically designed to cut traders who only know how to look at the direction but don't understand the risks:

Funding fees are the first knife. They are invisible but very powerful. If you're on the wrong side, time becomes your biggest enemy, and your principal slowly diminishes. Even if your prediction turns out to be correct in the end, you might die before dawn.

Liquidation price is the second knife. On the surface, it seems to have a large safety margin, but when accounting for fees, slippage, and other hidden costs, you might already be on the edge of a cliff without realizing it.

High leverage is the third knife. It’s not a lifeline but an amplifier. It can magnify your profits, but also your costs and volatility. A small fluctuation can be enough to knock you out, leaving no time for a rebound.

Those who truly survive in this market are not necessarily the most accurate predictors, but those who are disciplined. They know:

Which market movements to participate in and which to stay away from

How to precisely calculate hidden costs instead of just watching the price

Always keep positions within a risk level they can afford to bear

The market isn't really afraid of you making money. What it truly fears is that after understanding these rules, you can still stay calm and disciplined.

The path of direction has always been clear; the challenge is whether you have the patience to follow the rules step by step.