Is trading always a zero sum game

Use a good method and follow diligently..Patience needed...

This is a basic question and I thought it would have been discussed within the forums but after more than 20 minutes of searching I have not been able to find any related discussion so summoning up the courage to ask this basic question. Is trading always a 0 sum game? In other words, as an individual trader, is my real goal to outsmart the person at the other end of the trade?

From what I understand, long-term investing is not a zero-sum game because ultimately the companies that one invests in will produce goods or services of value and that will increase their stock price intrinsically.

But I'm not sure about frequent trading or day trading? Click put in to

Thank you for your responses. So then is it fair to say that when I am learning trading, I'm basically trying to learn how to outsmart other people.

This is what I have a hard time understanding. Let's say there are hundred people in the entire stock market. If all hundred try the same strategy, then it becomes worthless. So ultimately the winners have to come up with some confidential strategy of their own. And it is then a never-ending game because people will keep on innovating and it is essentially trying to beat each other.

Yes investing can also be considered as a zero-sum game as has been explained in one of the responses. the same time, I understand it more as a way of lending your capital with the risk and hoping that someone else is able to make a better value out of that. In contrast, in the trading, it seems to me that we are just trying to exchange money between each other and the smarter and lucky person will get money from the less fortunate person.