Why I Use Indicators — But Don’t Obey Them
If you’ve been trading for more than a few days, you’ve probably heard one of two extremes:
- “Indicators are trash. Trade pure price action.”
- “Just follow the signals. Green dot = buy, red dot = sell.”
Here’s the truth: both camps are missing the point.
I use indicators. I even build my own. But I don’t obey them. They’re not in charge — I am.
Indicators Are Just Tools — Not Teachers
An indicator should never be your compass. It’s more like a flashlight. It helps illuminate something you’re already seeing, not guide you blindly into a trade.
If an indicator is telling me to buy, but price is slamming into a major resistance level with no momentum? I’m out.
If it’s saying “oversold,” but I can feel price gaining speed downhill? I’m waiting.
Blind obedience gets traders wrecked. Smart traders listen to indicators — but they always verify.
What I Use Indicators For
- Confirmation
I already have a bias based on structure, rhythm, and movement. The indicator is just backup.
If price looks ready to reverse and my exhaustion indicator agrees? That’s green light energy. - Context
I don’t care if RSI is at 80 — how did it get there? Fast? Slow? Was it there yesterday too?
Indicators don’t just give values — they reveal patterns in behavior. - Filtering Noise
My custom indicators — especially the zero-lag ones — help smooth out the mess. Heikin-Ashi candles + properly tuned filters give me clarity when raw price gets messy.
What I Don’t Use Indicators For
- Entry signals by themselves
If the only reason I’m entering is because an indicator “said so,” I’m not trading — I’m guessing. - Overanalyzing
More indicators ≠ more clarity. If you need five oscillators to justify a trade, you don’t have conviction — you have confusion.
Indicators Are a Language — Not a Command
Over time, I’ve learned how my indicators speak. I know what they’re trying to show — and just as importantly, when they’re lying. Market conditions change, but behavior repeats. That’s where indicators shine — when they’re tailored to your way of seeing.
So I don’t “follow” indicators. I read them. Like any good tool, they’re powerful when used with intention — and useless when used blindly.
Final Word
If you're using indicators to make decisions for you, you're handing the wheel to something that doesn't even know where you're going.
Use them to highlight. To confirm. To simplify.
But never to replace your judgment.
