The Enemy Gets a Vote: How This Military Mindset Applies to Trading
You're not the only one making decisions.
In the military, there’s a saying: “The enemy gets a vote.” It means that no matter how well you strategize, plan, and execute, the opposition always has a say in the outcome. This mindset isn’t just for the battlefield, it applies to trading as well. No matter how perfect your trade setup looks, the market itself has the final word.
The Market is Your Opponent
Think of trading as a battle between buyers and sellers. You might analyze the charts, identify a breakout, and execute a trade with confidence. But the market is full of other traders (retail traders, institutions, hedge funds) all placing their own votes with their money. And sometimes, their collective vote overrules yours.
This is why even the most well-planned trades don’t always work out. A stock might be forming a textbook bullish pattern, but if institutions decide to sell off their positions, your plan gets invalidated. The market doesn’t care about your indicators, it moves based on collective decisions.
Why Traders Must Adapt
Great traders understand that they can’t control the market, only how they react to it. Here’s how you can adopt the “enemy gets a vote” mindset in your trading:
Expect the unexpected – Just because a setup looks great doesn’t mean it will succeed. Always be prepared for the market to move against you.
Manage risk relentlessly – Since the market has the final say, use stop losses, position sizing, and risk management to protect your capital.
Stay flexible – Don’t marry your trades. If the market “votes” against you, cut your losses and move on instead of hoping it will turn in your favor.
Control what you can – While you can’t control price movements, you can control your execution, discipline, and emotional responses.
Examples in Trading
Imagine you’re trading a breakout strategy. You spot a stock forming a clean bull flag pattern, volume is increasing, and the technicals all look solid. You enter the trade, expecting a move higher.
Then, out of nowhere, a negative news event drops, or a big institution dumps shares. The stock tanks, hitting your stop loss.
Did you do anything wrong? Not necessarily. The market just voted against you that time. That’s why risk management is so critical… you need to be prepared for when the enemy (the market) doesn’t go along with your plan.
Wrapping Up
In trading, just like in warfare, no plan survives first contact unscathed. The market always gets a vote. Your job is to respect that, manage risk, and stay adaptable. The best traders don’t just plan for when things go right, they prepare for when the market throws a curveball. So next time you take a trade, remember: you’re not the only one placing a vote.
Quick Glossary
Breakout – When a stock moves beyond a defined level of support or resistance with increased volume.
Bull flag pattern – A chart pattern indicating potential upward continuation after a brief consolidation.
Institutional traders – Large financial entities that trade massive amounts of stocks, often moving the market.
Stop loss – A pre-set price level at which a trader exits a losing trade to prevent further losses.
Risk management – Strategies used to minimize potential losses in tradi