Buy High, Sell Low: The 4 Stages How Institutions Harvest Retail
Buy and get trapped, sell and watch it rip — it isn't bad luck, it's you acting out the script institutions wrote for you. Institutional harvesting of retail investors runs through four stages: accumulation, markup, distribution, and markdown, each with its corresponding emotional trap. This article dissects the chip-flow logic behind every stage and your emotional reactions, from FOMO psychology to your biggest weakness — impatience — then gives you four unbreakable rules and four immediate action steps so you stop being the bag-holder at the top. You will see why you always buy high (because by the time you commit, the news, friend tips, LINE group "insider calls," and YouTube gurus have all confirmed the move, after the price has already run), why the boring sideways range is actually the most dangerous trap for impatient retail, and why the one big bullish candle near the top is the final escape wave — not a breakout. Closing with how to audit your broker statement, list your positions with their original thesis, unsubscribe from all tip channels, and ask three questions before every buy. By the end you will know that the few who make money in the market aren't smarter — they are simply calmer, and that working against the crowd is the only survival skill that matters.