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Have you ever looked at a photo of yourself from ten years ago and thought, "Things were so much simpler then"?
In our memories, the past feels like a sun-drenched place where gas was cheaper, the world was quieter, and the stock market was a predictable upward line. We look back at 2009, or 2012, or even the chaos of 2020, and think: "I should have been more aggressive. I should have bought more. It was so obvious what was going to happen next."
Here's what's interesting, though: The past only feels safe because it has already happened.
When you look back at March 2009, you aren't remembering the actual experience of March 2009. You're remembering a sanitized version of it. You're watching a movie where you've already seen the ending. You know the hero survives, the bank failures stop, and the market embarks on a decade-long bull run.