I once entered the futures market with 8,000 yuan, dreaming of a quick turnaround. Two months later, my account nearly went to zero—staying up late watching the charts, my heartbeat dancing with the K-line. That feeling is still unforgettable.

Many people ask me how I survived. Honestly, it was only after paying enough tuition that I realized: high leverage is not a shortcut to wealth; rather, it’s the easiest trap to fall into. What truly saved me was learning to use technical indicators to manage risk.

**Why is high leverage so dangerous**

When I first started, like most beginners, I was tempted by 5x, 10x leverage, thinking it was a quick way to double my money. Little did I know, each level of leverage doesn’t increase risk linearly—it explodes exponentially.

Take 20x leverage as an example. A 5% adverse price movement could wipe out your margin entirely. Stories online about "making a fortune overnight with 100x leverage"? Behind them are thousands of liquidation casualties. I finally understood that keeping leverage below 5x is the secret to surviving longer in the market.

This isn’t about being timid; it’s about respecting the rules of survival. Opportunities are everywhere in the market, but your principal only has one shot.

**The real culprit behind liquidation is actually the person in the mirror**

When reviewing my trading records, I uncovered a harsh truth: almost all liquidations stem from two reasons—no stop-loss and emotional trading.

I remember once opening a long position, and the market suddenly reversed. I was about to close when I lost 10%, but I told myself, "Wait a bit, it will rebound." It didn’t rebound; it kept falling, and I was forced to stop out, doubling my losses.

Stop-losses may seem like admitting defeat, but in reality, they’re protecting your future. Trading without stop-losses is like driving a car without brakes—you’ll crash sooner or later.

**Indicators are the reason to stay alive**

The turning point came when I started systematically studying technical analysis. The BOLL indicator (Bollinger Bands) showed me how to quantify risk and opportunity. When the price touches the upper band, it usually signals overbought risk; touching the lower band hints at a rebound opportunity.

More importantly, I learned to set stop-losses and profit targets using indicators, rather than relying on gut feeling. This approach makes each trade’s risk controllable and predictable.

**The ones who survive aren’t the ones who make the most money, but those who last the longest**

Looking back now, that 8,000 yuan was worth it. Not because it multiplied many times, but because it taught me what respect for the market really means.

In this market, there are many opportunities to make money, but surviving is hard. High leverage, naked trading, emotional decisions—these are all ways to accelerate your demise. True winners are those who arm themselves with risk management and technical indicators, those who understand that "protecting your principal is more important than chasing huge profits."

If you’re also navigating the futures market, ask yourself: Where is your stop-loss? How many times leverage are you using? These details often determine whether you exit alive or get eliminated by the market.