Honestly, these past couple of days I've been staring at the screen until my eyes are dry. The more I watch, the more I realize that the cruelest aspect of options is time value: as a buyer, even if the market doesn't move, you're slowly bleeding; as a seller, it looks like you're "collecting rent," but in reality, you're exchanging tail risk for that small time fee, and if a needle suddenly pricks down the line, you'll have to pay it back, which isn't enough.

I'm more of a short-term trader myself, so I only dare to buy options that I am confident I can quickly realize profits from, otherwise my mindset would collapse if I hold out too long; as a seller, I don't dare to sell naked, at most I do some protected trades that can be quickly stopped-lossed. Recently, I've heard about regional tax hikes and compliance tightening and loosening, causing deposit and withdrawal expectations to shift, which suddenly amplifies volatility. Buyers might hold out for "a big move," but more often they get worn out... I’m not even sure. Anyway, tonight the funding rate is normal, so I’ll stick to the discipline.