Has trading got tougher lately? Let's find out...

Before I present some eye-opening findings, allow me to propose a thesis:

Every market has its personality, and that personality is defined by two traits: Volatility and Trendiness. A volatile market is one that moves a great deal from time period to time period. A trendy market is one that tends to move in the same direction from one period to the next. Over time, markets change their personalities, which is to say they change their volatility and trending. This is part of what makes markets so difficult to trade: just as traders adapt to one market personality, another is likely to take its place.