Should you time the market?
Of course not.
But you should know how to identify a lazy narrative when you encounter one.

Here’s a classic example:

📰 “Miss the 10 best days in the market and you lose 50%+ of your returns!”

That sounds terrifying and convincing — maybe even scientific.
Until you look closer.

Yes, technically, if you miss the top 10 “up” days over a certain period, your returns could suffer.
But context is crucial.

Here’s what they often leave out:

👉 7 of those “best” days typically occur during bear markets.
👉 They often cluster near the worst days.
👉 This implies you’d have to stay in the market during downturns, panic, sell near the bottom, and then also miss out on the brief recoveries — repeatedly.

So yes — the math is accurate.
But the narrative? It’s misleading.

Real investors don’t move in and out on optimal days.
They get anxious.
They react emotionally.

This statistic warns against emotional whiplash.
About the importance of having a strategy.
About how fear can impact decisions without a plan.

So no, don’t attempt to time the market.
But also — don’t accept every “stay the course” headline without scrutiny.

Always question:
📉 What underlying assumptions are in this statistic?
🧠 Is this narrative clarifying my thinking… or causing analysis paralysis?

The best investors aren’t reactive.
They’re grounded.
And they think beyond the headline.