Profit on the screen, war in the background - a moment that reflects the complex psychology of traders during global conflicts. Image courtesy: AI-generated illustration created using OpenAI tools. 🌍 The World in Conflict Currently, countless different wars are taking place across the globe. Among these, conflicts that directly impact our personal financial circumstances tend to exert a more profound influence on the behavior of traders and investors in Stock Markets. Over the last 15 years, numerous wars have occurred—such as the 2003 Iraq ...
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| Profit on the screen, war in the background - a moment that reflects the complex psychology of traders during global conflicts. Image courtesy: AI-generated illustration created using OpenAI tools. |
🌍 The World in Conflict
Currently, countless different wars are taking place across the globe. Among these, conflicts that directly impact our personal financial circumstances tend to exert a more profound influence on the behavior of traders and investors in Stock Markets. Over the last 15 years, numerous wars have occurred—such as the 2003 Iraq War, the 2022 Russia-Ukraine War, and the 2025 India-Pakistan conflict. Some of these conflicts remain ongoing.
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📊 A Trade on the Edge of War
Currently, in 2026, a war is underway between Iran VS United States of America and Israel. Two days prior to the outbreak of this conflict, anticipating that war was imminent, I decided to capitalize on the situation. Accordingly, I resolved to execute trades based on strategies recommended by F&O experts. However, I decided to take a calculated risk—ensuring that if my decision proved incorrect, I would not incur a massive loss.
Acting on this plan, I went short on one lot of Nifty Futures in the BSE F&O segment and purchased five lots of Nifty 50 Put Options, having set appropriate stop-losses. Yet, after initiating these trades, my mental unease intensified.
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😰 Fear, Doubt and Market Psychology
Before placing the trade, I was in a state of indecision—torn between whether to take it or not. The constant barrage of conflicting news regarding the war—along with the discussions and rumors circulating on social media—weighed heavily on my mind, causing significant stress. I felt overwhelmed by fear and anxiety.
After finally executing the trades, I saw a splash of green—indicating a small profit—on my trading app, and my face instantly lit up with joy. However, this happiness was short-lived.
The Asian markets closed that afternoon, and when I checked the closing prices of the Indian indices (BSE), I saw that I was incurring a slight loss. The P&L figures on my mobile trading app began to turn red, and in my frustration, my own face turned red with anger at myself. At that moment, my thoughts became chaotic, and my mind grew restless.
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🚶♂️ A Night of Restlessness
I began pacing restlessly—constantly getting up and sitting down in my chair at home. Eventually, I went out and ate a burger; then, out of sheer exasperation, I downed three or four cups of tea in quick succession. Like a chain smoker, I puffed through five or six cigarettes, one after another.
I found myself compulsively surfing through war-related news on my mobile and listening intently to podcasts on TV news channels. Even when the global markets opened in the evening, there was still no concrete news confirming that the war had actually begun. My patience began to wear thin, and my mind grew increasingly agitated.
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📱 News, Anxiety and Endless Checking
During dinner that night, my entire attention remained fixed on the news. Immediately after eating, I took my daily blood pressure medication. My family members began asking, "Why are you so restless?" I evaded their questions and retreated to the bedroom.
Just then, my mobile phone ran out of battery; in a fit of anger, I slammed the phone down onto the mattress. Then, coming to my senses, I plugged it in to charge. I grabbed my wife's mobile and went right back to surfing for war news and checking the global markets.
Across the global markets, only the prices of gold, silver, and oil were rising; there was no significant movement in stock market prices.
Finally, flailing my arms in frustration, I threw open the refrigerator, pulled out a radish, and crunched it down vigorously. I then downed a bottle of soda in a single gulp and sat there, letting out a loud burp.
Assuming I had a headache, I rubbed balm on my forehead, applied oil to my hair, began biting my fingernails, and repeatedly checked to see if my mobile phone was charged. My wife kept a close watch on my movements, yet she refrained from asking any questions.
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🌙 A Sleepless Night
Once my mobile was charged, I went back to checking the global indices. Since the hourly news updates I was hoping for weren't coming through, I began to feel that I had rushed into taking a trade unnecessarily—that I was a fool who understood nothing about international warfare.
I felt utterly dejected. I tossed and turned all night; while browsing on my mobile, sleep eventually overtook me—as nature dictates—without my even realizing it.
When I woke up at dawn, the very first thing I did was check my mobile trading app; seeing what was there, I shot upright and leaped out of bed.
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💰 Profit in the Midst of War
I was ecstatic. I had made a massive profit. A colossal war had indeed broken out. While the crimson tide of bloodshed flowed on the battlefield, my trading app’s P&L screen was overflowing with a vibrant green.
My wife was astonished to see me so overjoyed. She immediately brewed some tea. As we sipped our tea, she suggested we use a food delivery app to order pizza, burgers, French fries, and cold drinks.
I switched on the TV first. I didn't even bother to shower; instead, I remained glued to the screens—watching the unfolding war situation on both the TV and my mobile.
I sat there waiting impatiently for the Indian markets to open; the moment they did, I squared off my trading position and booked my profits. Immediately thereafter, I placed the food order on the delivery app, just as we had planned.
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🍕 An Uncomfortable Realization
The order arrived at our doorstep almost instantly. My wife and children were delighted.
I, however, felt a tinge of melancholy as I ate my pizza. A thought crossed my mind: this profit I had gained had come at the cost of bloodshed in some distant land.
This was not true profit.
It felt as though, instead of tomato sauce, I was smearing someone else's blood onto my pizza; overwhelmed by this realization, I stopped eating halfway through, left the pizza unfinished, and walked out of the home.
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🧠 Final Conclusion
This experience revealed something profound about the psychology of traders.
Markets react to events. Traders react to markets. But behind every market movement lies a real human story somewhere in the world.
War creates fear, uncertainty, and volatility in financial markets. Some traders profit from this volatility, while others suffer losses. Yet beyond the charts, profits, and numbers lies a deeper moral question.
Can profit truly feel satisfying when it is indirectly connected to human suffering?
For me, that day became more than just a successful trade. It became a reminder that financial markets and human emotions are deeply intertwined.
Sometimes the market may turn green on our screens, but the world outside may still be painted in shades of red. ⚖️
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Disclaimer:
This article describes a personal experience and psychological reflection during a geopolitical event. It is not financial advice or a recommendation to trade.
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