Steve,
Sorry to see you go. You will be missed.
Walking away from it, may be a good decision. It probably is better for you to quit now, rather than worsen the situation. I know how you feel, having spent so much time, and so much money, without ever finding the desired success.
I dont quite buy your comment about the manager of your brokerage firm not trading himself. He shouldnt. He should be a person trained in running a business, not a trader.
Is trading a sucker game, as you said? No, I dont think so at all. Its just that its so darned difficult.
No, its not the analysis part. Anybody can learn that. Just look at all the successful paper traders.
Trading is difficult because we make it difficult ourselves. It is a continues battle with our own emotions. Thats where the problem lies for most of us. Most traders never look at that aspect of trading. Rather, they always look for a better indicator, a new system, a new technique.
If you study the carreers of some of the famous supertraders, you will learn that quite a few of them went through many years of failure, until finally something clicked and the winning started.
Of course, for some, nothing will ever click. This is nothing to be ashamed about. Some people cant sing, no matter how many lessons they take. Some people cant paint, no matter how much money they spend on expensive brushes.
Trading also is an art. The difficulty is in determining when its time to quit. Should you quit now, because your personality is simply not suited for the stresses of trading, or should you be persistent in looking for the right *groove* that puts you on the road to success?
Nobody can answer this question for you. Taking off now, is the correct thing to do for you now. Maybe, at some time in the future, you can go back to your studies of the market, and, who knows, you may just find the right path then.
Good Luck and God Bless.
Tom