Before getting into something in General, One MUST have the idea what he/she'll be into.
The basics are the MOST important thing to have. Especially when just starting, a lot of newbies tend to skip this as they feel that they don't need it. Being intelligent is not that important, but to be able to understand the nature of trading is enough to succeed. Knowledge, Data gathering, patience and many more are part of the Basics. That's how important to have the basics before entering the world of Trading.

A lot of newcomers don't last as they taught when they trade that's it, They see a low investment entry they'll grab even without proper data to support every decision. As I see it, it seems that only about 30% of the new comers are willing to start from the very beginning no shortcuts and everything.