Is "HODL forever" actually a trap we’ve set for ourselves?

Lately I’ve been thinking about the whole “never sell” mentality in crypto, and I’m starting to question whether HODLing has quietly turned into a trap for some people.

We often celebrate those who have been holding since 2017 without ever selling a single coin. But it makes me wonder, what is the actual end goal?

There seems to be this unspoken pressure to never take profits because nobody wants to be remembered as the person who sold too early. At the same time, I see people sitting on life-changing gains on paper while still living the exact same life they were living years ago. They keep waiting for the next moon, even though they already have more than enough profit to change things for themselves.

If the purpose of investing is to eventually improve your life or give you more freedom, then at what point does holding forever stop being a smart strategy and start becoming a way to stay stuck on the sidelines?

I’m genuinely curious how others balance the HODL philosophy with actually using the wealth they’ve built. Do you have a clear exit plan, or are most people just planning to hold indefinitely?

I’d really like to hear how people justify never selling when the gains are already there.