Ever feel like you’re the only one worried about the market? 🙋♂️
We’re told that great investors are fearless, ice-cold decision-makers. But what if that’s wrong?
What if the true secret to long-term wealth isn’t unbreakable confidence, but… healthy, productive worry?
It sounds crazy, but it’s the one trait that unites some of the world’s best investors. They aren’t gamblers; they’re professional worriers. And it’s the secret to not losing their shirt.
The Misery of Being Right (Too Early) 😫
Let’s talk about Jean-Marie Eveillard.
In the late 1990s, during the dot-com bubble, everyone was making a killing on tech stocks. Pets com, anyone? Eveillard refused to buy them. He thought it was madness.
What happened?
-
His clients fled.
-
His fund underperformed for three straight years.
-
He was almost fired and wrote that he felt like “an idiot.”
He was miserable. But he was also patient.
Then, the bubble burst. The tech-heavy Nasdaq index plunged over 78%. Those “can’t-miss” companies vanished. Eveillard’s fund, filled with cheap, solid “boring” stocks, soared. His “worry” about overpaying saved his investors from total ruin.
The Superpower of “What If It Fails?” 🧐
Eveillard’s strategy wasn’t based on ego. It was based on a simple, worried question: “What if things blow up?”
This “skepticism” (a nice word for worry!) led him to the most powerful idea in investing: Margin of Safety.
Here’s what it means in plain English:
-
Don’t buy a stock at its “fair” price.
-
Buy it only when it’s on a massive discount, like a $100 item on sale for $50.
-
That $50 difference is your “margin of safety.” It’s a built-in cushion just in case you’re wrong, the economy tanks, or things go bad.
This isn’t about being scared; it’s about being smart. It’s the difference between gambling and investing.
How to “Worry” Your Way to Wealth 🧘
This isn’t about anxious, sleepless nights. It’s about thoughtful caution.
Another legend, Francis Chou, calls this avoiding “poison.” He famously sat out the 90s tech bubble and the 2008 banking crisis. While everyone else was chasing quick profits, he was patiently reading and studying companies.
His philosophy? “If you want to participate in the market all the time, then it’s a mug’s game… It’s better to be on the sidelines and just watch.“
Chou has said he’s willing to wait 10 years or more for the right price. That’s not fear. That’s discipline.
Your New Investing Mantra: “What’s the Downside?” 📉➡️📈
Next time you feel that FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) on the next hot stock (think GameStop or the latest AI craze), channel your inner Eveillard and ask:
-
What’s the real risk here?
-
How much could I permanently lose?
-
Is this actually cheap, or am I just chasing the crowd?
It turns out, the “calm, thoughtful way” isn’t about having no fear. It’s about respecting risk and being patient. That’s how you truly relax and get rich.
What’s your biggest investing worry right now? Let me know in the comments.
Follow me for more simple, smart investing strategy.
Join the Relax to Rich Club, where we grow wealth the calm, thoughtful way. ✨