is share trading gambling

If you're like me, you're inspired by good price action and reports, etc before you'd consider buying a stock. You wait for the market to show stability as well and be in slow but steady uptrend. Then the market turns and the stocks you bought on the way up get dragged down by fear selling, even though the stocks you hold have everything going for them. So you hold in the hope that they rebound - that's gambling. As an observer you're just along for the ride, and unless you know something that the others don't then you're basing your holding choice purely on hope. This is very difficult. As they say, don't put in what you can't afford to loose. If I still hold all the stocks that I sold due to selling pressures then I'd be well and truly ahead. However, I'm not in the position of letting my funds dwindle while I hope the sell off will subside and then rebound. I can see how the wealthy get ahead. They use their play money, buy stocks and totally ignore the market forces. Rather than worry, they'd go and play golf and the pokies and give their stocks an occasional glance. Bottom line, I have paced more than what I'm prepared to loose.