Sure some traders don't know that they are traders. Some traders call themselves investors, even though they are not investors.
Exactly, you're right. I believe this is the reason why when they are into their trading practices like buying and hodli for few months or 1-3yrs, they sell when they are in profit. Hoping to buy back when the price falls. Many forum members here also are traders unknown to them, because if you ask them how to I go about investing in bitcoin, they'll say buy in the bear market and sell in the bull run. They will argue with you till infinity that they are not practicing trading, if you tell them. Instead, they'll say that they are investing. Of which investing is beyond this. A full circle for the ederly ones, and ten years above for the younger ones
When i first learnt about the bear and the bull season, i was practically thinking that bitcoin investment involves buying during bear seasons and selling during bull seasons and the sequence continues but not until i understood the real concept of investing in bitcoin. I learnt that it isn't a good practice to be buying only when the price DIPs and sell when the market is bullish which made me know about the DCA which makes it easier to buy same amount of bitcoins at different intervals which also means that you will be buying at different price points which will include buying at DIP prices.
Just like you said, a full circle which is 4 years can be slightly considered enough time for someone who is nearing retirement age to HODL depending on your financial strength and health status which will determine if they can go longer than a full cycle. Then for the vibrant youths who are full of life an energy, they can decide to HODL for more than a decade depending on when their target is met because as an investor, their is need to set a target for your investment so that when you reach your target, you can figure out whether to continue or not.