not just noobs the rules apply for everyone, never buy on tips (what i mean is never buy without your own analysis) and never ever average down. Generally in a bull market people average down initially and find it works, they do it again and again as their confidence grows with each buy, as afterall we are in a raging bull market, when a major correction sets in or when the bull market ends these people by this time are so confident they have bought huge quantities at the current dip (and why not? afterall its worked for the last several dips hasn't it?) and consequesntly suffer huge losses and if bought on margin are generally wiped out. Believe me no one can see the end coming everyone thinks its just another minor correction, more so because group norms come into play, they feel they lost out on the last correction while their acquaintances made money so they are psychologically prone to buy even more confidently.