Eating grapefruit and ice cream for a weight-loss program. Will it work? The answer is no. Wheelan points out that the promised diet goes against all health care and dietary information we hold to be true, so why would we agree to something so absurd? Because it gives us hope of a better us and a better future. Stocks, bonds, and the general financial market are compared to the idea of getting rich quickly or getting thin faster. Stocks do not make a person rich overnight - just like doing a 5 minute ab workout will not give you a 6-pack the next morning. People are enthralled with the idea of a "quick fix" and not having to take the pain or the frustration in the short run. Using the ab workout in comparison to the financial market: in order to get to the "perfect 10" body, you have to endure the many, many weeks of the pain of muscle building that comes from hard work. Similarly, stocks work best if you have money you're not using at the moment and are able to invest it and wait it out - even if it takes ten to fifteen years. What benefits you in the short term generally does not benefit you in the long run. As Wheelan said, "it [investing successfully] requires discipline and short-term sacrifice. The payoff is a slow, steady accumulation of wealth rather than a quick windfall"(149). Don't be fooled by "get rich quick" scams. Do the research.
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