Investing and making money—many people believe in three lies: relying on effort, luck, or riding the trend.

But reality often slaps you in the face.

What truly determines whether you can make money is actually related to these three things: how you relate to time, how you handle risk, and how you survive in uncertainty.

**Why is time considered the most important factor?**

Many people dream of getting rich overnight, but end up losing the most. When it comes to making money, long-term compound interest is the key. The longer you stay in the market and the more cycles you experience, the better you can see the patterns. But those who seek quick gains? They often get wiped out during a sudden crash and never get the chance to rebound.

**Risk management is more critical than choosing coins**

It sounds like old advice, but does anyone really do it? Most traders who blow up their accounts do so because they don’t understand risk allocation. How much leverage to use, how to size positions, where to set stop-losses—these determine how far you can go. Picking the right coin is the icing on the cake; risk control is the lifesaver.

**Uncertainty is the norm**

The market will always surprise you (sometimes with shocks). No one can predict the trend perfectly, but you can reduce the risk of being completely trapped by diversifying your portfolio, reviewing regularly, and continuous learning. Accept uncertainty, and on this basis, implement risk management—that’s what mature investors do.

In simple terms, the purpose of understanding finance isn’t to teach you how to get rich overnight. It’s to teach you how not to be underestimated, not to be misallocated, and not to blow up your account. Master these three points, and long-term gains will naturally follow.