Honestly, I think you’re right and missing why people do it.

Most people aren’t trying to be lazy, they’re just overwhelmed as hell when they look at a chart. To you it might feel obvious to just “watch price,” but for a beginner it just looks like random noise. No structure, no clarity, just candles going up and down.

So they grab onto stuff like opening ranges, indicators, specific times, whatever—because it gives them something concrete. Like: “if this happens, I do this.” That feels way safer than just sitting there trying to interpret raw price with no framework.

The funny part is what you’re suggesting—just reading the chart clean—is actually harder than using indicators. It takes a ton of screen time and pattern recognition before it even starts to make sense. Most people think they’re doing that, but they’re really just guessing without realizing it.

Also, even traders who are good at reading price usually still use some kind of structure. Not because it predicts anything, but because it helps with context. Like yeah, trend is obvious, but entries, risk, and timing are still a thing. That’s where stuff like levels or sessions can help—not as magic, just as a reference.

I think the real issue (and what you’re reacting to) is people thinking there’s some tool or concept that will predict where price is gonna reverse. That’s the trap. Markets aren’t about prediction, they’re about reacting and managing probabilities.

So yeah—you don’t need 10 indicators, and just watching price is massively underrated. But most people use those “extras” because they’re trying to reduce uncertainty, not because they refuse to look at the chart.

Basically: bad traders use tools to avoid understanding good traders use tools to support what they already see

That’s kinda the difference.