Why does a support level become more dangerous the more it’s tested? When I first started learning technical analysis, I used to think that if a level held up several times without breaking, it meant the support was strong. The first bounce? I’d buy. The second? I’d add more. By the third time, I’d even cancel my stop-loss: it’s held so many times, it should be fine this time too, right? Later, I realized that a support level isn’t a concrete wall—it’s just a pile of buy orders waiting to be filled. Every time the price tests the level, it consumes some of the buying power. The first time, there’s a quick rebound as buyers step in. The second time, there are still buyers, but the bounce isn’t as strong. By the third time, those willing to buy might already be fully loaded, leaving behind more and more trapped traders looking to sell into any rebound. I used to keep adding to my position at the bottom of a range, and the first few times, I’d profit from the bounce. I mistook those lucky wins for a reliable strategy. Until that one time when the support finally broke. Everyone relying on the same level for their stop-losses sold at once, and what seemed like a solid floor turned into a trapdoor accelerating the drop. To judge whether a support level is reliable, it’s not just about how many times it’s held. You also need to look at the strength of each bounce, the trading volume, the structure of the lows, and the spot buying activity. If the bounces get weaker and the level is tested more often, it’s not a sign of increasing certainty—it’s a warning that the buying power might be running out. Remember: the value of a support level isn’t in how many times it’s held in the past, but in how much real buying power is left to hold it the next time.