Beyond Bulls and Bears: How Markets Self-Govern Through Triadic Cycles

Triads in markets: why no single algorithm controls price

Many traders believe in the myth of an all-powerful algorithm secretly controlling price. They imagine a hidden hand orchestrating every movement. But that belief is a distraction. Markets, like nature, are self-governing triadic systems. No single entity controls them; price is the visible byproduct of living forces cycling between imbalance and balance.

Nature’s Blueprint: Triads Over Dictatorships

In natural systems, survival isn’t a binary battle. It’s a triad:

  • Carnivores: Apex predators keeping herbivore populations in check.
  • Omnivores: Opportunists that adapt and balance both ends.
  • Herbivores: The mass crowd, fueling the system through numbers and vulnerability.

When one group grows too dominant, the system self-corrects. Too many herbivores? Carnivores feast. Too few herbivores? Carnivores starve and balance returns. There is no dictator orchestrating the jungle—only self-regulation through constant feedback.

Markets work the same way.


Markets Mirror Nature’s Triadic Flow

The three market forces:

  • Algo Traders (Carnivores): Fast, merciless, feeding on inefficiencies.
  • Strategy Traders (Omnivores): Adaptive, blending aggression with patience.
  • Degenerate Gamblers (Herbivores): Emotional, reactive, easily trapped.

When the system is imbalanced—e.g., Gamblers get too greedy—the market self-corrects. Carnivores strike, Omnivores adapt, and price realigns. No single Algo needs to “control” anything; the triad governs itself through cycles.


Imbalance → Balance: The Real Trading Cycle

Financial markets oscillate between imbalance and balance. The edge is recognizing those phases.

Signs of Imbalance

  • RSI extremes: Above 70 (hot) or below 30 (cold).
  • Bollinger breaches: Price outside 2 standard deviations.
  • Emotional candles: Large engulfings, exhaustion wicks.
  • Volume spikes: Herd behavior at fever pitch.

Signs of Balance Returning

  • RSI cooling back toward 50.
  • Reversions to the 20- or 50-period MAs.
  • Reduced volatility and tightening ranges.

These cycles are self-similar across timeframes—from 1-minute charts to monthly candles. Don’t wait for an external “controller.” Observe when imbalance naturally reverts to balance.


Why Bull/Bear Dyadic Logic Fails

Most traders are trapped in bull/bear thinking. Markets aren’t a tug-of-war—they’re a living flow of triadic forces. Swings occur not because “bulls” or “bears” are winning, but because Carnivores, Omnivores, and Herbivores interact dynamically.

Example: During a stampede rally, it isn’t just “bulls winning.” Herbivores stampede, Omnivores adapt, and Carnivores set the trap. When the crowd overheats, Carnivores pounce. The crash isn’t “bear victory”—it’s the triad restoring balance.


Conclusion: Trade the Triad, Not the Illusion

The market isn’t ruled by a godlike algorithm. It’s governed by living triadic forces that self-regulate through cycles of imbalance and balance—nature’s fingerprint echoed in price.

Trade the triad. Recognize imbalance. Ride the restoration.

Smash the myth. Smash the markets.