[ryandrake]

THANK YOU for pointing this out.

The stock market is not the economy. Stocks going up is not objectively good, and stocks going down is not objectively bad. Same for housing prices and cost of living.

When the pie grows, often the result is I have a shrinking portion of it.

[seanp2k2]

Yes, true, but unfortunately for all of us who don't have our billions yet, many of those making policy decisions have a thumb or three in that pie and much of their wealth tied to it. What I've learned is that you can either be part of the "tide which lifts all ships" or be drowned by it. TL;DR get some index funds :)

[WorldMaker]

Don't forget too that 401(k)s force your hand to care about the stock market to get any sort of retirement in the modern era.