Active funds often struggle to outperform index funds due to high costs, inflexible asset sizes, and pressure to meet quarterly performance targets—none of which are relevant to individual investors. Regarding the question of whether individual stock investors are just gambling addicts… Well, while some may stand out negatively, there are also many prudent investors. With diversified investing and a disciplined approach, it’s possible to achieve substantial returns with relatively low risk. However, many individual investors aim for returns above the market index, which often leads to higher risk or volatility compared to index investing. To those who favor index funds: I encourage you to try buying just one individual stock that interests you. The impact on your portfolio will be negligible, but it could fundamentally change how you see the world.