Psychology research shows us that for most people, the pain of losing a dollar is bigger than the joy of winning a dollar. Here’s an interesting article on how it’s easier to find mutual funds that sustainably “don’t suck” vs finding sustainable “winners.”
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/a-fund-picking-strategy-for-nervous-investor…
However, while most of us would prefer to avoid pain rather than seek reward when it comes to investing, we don’t necessarily know that until it’s too late.