What You Are Actually Trading
When using narrative conviction holding, price is not the primary signal.
You are not trading candles. You are not trading short-term momentum.
You are trading attention expansion over time.
Understanding this distinction is what separates conviction from hope.
Attention moves before price
In memecoin markets, attention usually comes first.
Before large price moves happen, you will often see:
repeated mentions across Twitter
growing discussion in replies and group chats
more participants engaging with the idea
increased community activity
Price reacts to this process, not the other way around.
If you focus only on price, you are often late to the real move.
Narratives grow in phases
Most strong narratives do not move straight up.
They tend to:
start quietly
expand gradually
pause or pull back
continue as attention spreads
eventually slow and fade
Price movement during this process is uneven.
Pullbacks, chop, and slow periods are normal while belief is forming.
Why price noise is misleading
Short-term price action can be deceptive.
During narrative expansion:
price may pull back even as attention grows
consolidation can occur while participation increases
volatility does not automatically mean weakness
Reacting to every candle often leads to:
premature exits
loss of good positions
emotional decision making
Narratives do not unfold on a single timeframe.
What confirms narrative strength
When evaluating whether a narrative is still intact, focus on:
whether attention continues to reappear
whether new participants are joining
whether discussion persists beyond one event
whether the idea remains relevant
Price is only one piece of that picture.
Attention longevity matters more than short-term direction.
When attention stops being traded
Narrative conviction breaks down when:
mentions disappear instead of repeating
engagement drops consistently
interest shifts elsewhere
discussion becomes forced or artificial
At that point, you are no longer trading expansion.
You are holding something that the market has moved on from.
How this changes your behavior
Once you understand what you are actually trading:
you stop reacting to every move
you become more selective with entries
you hold winners more calmly
you cut when narratives fade, not when candles scare you
This mental shift is required before execution details matter.