You mean to tell me you have never bought shares which you went...

You mean to tell me you have never bought shares which you went on to sell for a loss? When you buy, of course you buy into the story of the company. Then over time as promises are made but not kept, poor management decisions are made etc. you begin to lose faith and eventually give up and figure you are better off putting your money elsewhere. When that doesn't happen you should keep buying and you stand to make a lot of money. At the end of the day people make money or not based on their own understanding. If you want guarantees stick to bonds.