Ultimately, investing is about how much money you actually have in your pocket, not about words, face-saving, or how much you've held onto in the past. The market is never short of paper glories, nor is it short of hindsight explanations. How much you've earned, your highest unrealized profit, or who you outperformed at a particular time—these are not the final results. Everyone has a different style and trading system, different holding periods, risk tolerance, and different capital sizes, making direct comparisons difficult. Some pursue high volatility, others stability; some follow trends, others trade swings. As long as you consistently profit, a system that suits you is a good system.