{"id":40176,"date":"2025-12-30T23:56:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-30T15:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/?p=40176"},"modified":"2026-02-06T17:25:56","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T09:25:56","slug":"get-something-for-nothing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2025\/12\/30\/get-something-for-nothing\/","title":{"rendered":"Most investors just want to get something for nothing or windfall\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Average people just want to get something for nothing, easy money, or windfall&nbsp;everyone know that. Most people just want to reap what they sow, while stock market investors only want to gain without effort. This is a well-known and timeless law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #ffffff;color:#ffffff\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #ffffff;color:#ffffff\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2025\/12\/30\/get-something-for-nothing\/#People_dont_want_to_put_effort\" >People don&#8217;t want to put effort<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2025\/12\/30\/get-something-for-nothing\/#Touted_stocks_and_insider_information_is_the_evidence\" >Touted stocks and insider information is the evidence<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2025\/12\/30\/get-something-for-nothing\/#The_Delusion_of_%E2%80%9CGetting_Rich_Quick%E2%80%9D\" >The Delusion of &#8220;Getting Rich Quick&#8221;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2025\/12\/30\/get-something-for-nothing\/#Beware_of_inside_information\" >Beware of inside information<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2025\/12\/30\/get-something-for-nothing\/#Closing_words\" >Closing words<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2025\/12\/30\/get-something-for-nothing\/#Related_articles\" >Related articles<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"People_dont_want_to_put_effort\"><\/span>People don&#8217;t want to put effort<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In the opening of the first chapter of his book, &#8220;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/How-Trade-Stocks-Jesse-Livermore\/dp\/0071469796\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How to Trade in Stocks<\/a>&#8220;<\/em>, Jesse Livermore wrote the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>The game of speculation is the most uniformly fascinating game in the world. But it is not a game for the stupid, the mentally lazy, the man of inferior emotional balance,&nbsp;nor&nbsp;for the get-rich-quick adventurer. They will die&nbsp;poor.<br>Over a long period of years I have rarely attended a dinner party including strangers that someone did not sit down beside me and after the usual pleasantries inquire:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow can I make some money in the market?\u201d In my younger days I would go to considerable pains to explain all the difficulties faced by the one&nbsp;who simply&nbsp;wishes&nbsp;to take&nbsp;quick and easy money&nbsp;out of the&nbsp;market; or&nbsp;through courteous evasiveness I&nbsp;would work&nbsp;my way out of&nbsp;the snare. In later&nbsp;years my answer has been a blunt \u2018I don\u2019t&nbsp;know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is difficult to exercise patience&nbsp;with such&nbsp;people. In the first place, the inquiry is not a compliment to&nbsp;the man who has&nbsp;made a scientific&nbsp;study&nbsp;of investment and speculation. It&nbsp;would&nbsp;be&nbsp;as fair for&nbsp;the layman to&nbsp;ask&nbsp;an attorney or a surgeon: \u201cHow can I&nbsp;make&nbsp;some quick money&nbsp;in law or surgery?\u201d<br><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Touted_stocks_and_insider_information_is_the_evidence\"><\/span>Touted stocks and insider information is the evidence<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In my third book on US stock investment, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2025\/08\/26\/investors-beautiful-heaven\/\">&#8220;Investors Beautiful Heaven&#8221;<\/a>, I mentioned: &#8220;Most people believe insider information is useful. Investors pursue insider information simply to get rich quick and dream of overnight wealth. But in investing, most things that make you feel comfortable or what most people are doing are usually not profitable. Things that make you feel good are usually wrong.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Delusion_of_%E2%80%9CGetting_Rich_Quick%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>The Delusion of &#8220;Getting Rich Quick&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I advise lazy investors or those who want to get rich quick to leave the stock market as soon as possible, because you can&#8217;t make big money. After all, stock market investing is no different from spending time working. Jesse Livermore said in book <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Reminiscences-Stock-Operator-Edwin-Lef%C3%A8vre\/dp\/0471770884\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Reminiscences of a Stock Operator<\/a><\/em>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>But the average man doesn&#8217;t wish to be told that it is a bull or a bear market. What he desires is to be told specifically which particular stock to buy or sell. He wants to get something for nothing. He does not wish to work. He doesn&#8217;t even wish to have to think. It is too much bother to have to count the money that he picks up from the ground.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Beware_of_inside_information\"><\/span>Beware of inside information<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Jesse Livermore<\/em> In his book <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/How-Trade-Stocks-Jesse-Livermore\/dp\/0071469796\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How to Trade in Stocks<\/a><\/em>, Livermore wrote: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;On the first page of this little book I suggest you write\u2014no, better print\u2014it in ink: \u201cBeware of inside information -all&nbsp;inside information.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It cannot be said too often that in speculation and investment, success comes only to those who work for it. No one is going to hand you a lot of easy money. It is like the story of the penniless tramp. His hunger gave him the audacity to enter a restaurant and order \u201ca big, luscious, thick, juicy steak,\u201d and, he added to the colored waiter, \u201ctell&nbsp;your boss to make it snappy.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a moment the waiter ambled back and whined: \u201cDe boss say if he had&nbsp;dat&nbsp;steak here he\u2019d eat it&nbsp;hisself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And if there was any easy money lying around, no one would be forcing it into your pocket.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Closing_words\"><\/span>Closing words<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To achieve great success or satisfactory returns in investing, one must dedicate the same effort as one would to a job, treating it as a career and committing fully. No one in human history has ever succeeded in the stock market with a gambling mentality, hoping for easy money, just want to get something for nothing, or windfall gains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"90\" height=\"134\" src=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/get-something-for-nothing-Custom.jpg\" alt=\"get something for nothing\n\" class=\"wp-image-40200\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_articles\"><\/span>Related articles<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul id=\"block-13bd9aca-fe59-4c5e-a797-4661ce116bc4\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2025\/12\/30\/get-something-for-nothing\/\">Most investors just want to get something for nothing or windfall<\/a>&#8220;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2025\/11\/18\/doom-to-fail-if-not-good-at\/\">Doom to fail if you&#8217;re not good at investing<\/a>&#8220;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2022\/05\/04\/investor-temperament\/\">The most important quality for an investor is temperament, not intellect&#8221;<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2025\/05\/11\/memory\/\">Memory is an edge to investment success<\/a>&#8220;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2023\/02\/26\/personality-impact\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Personality has a decisive impact on investment success or failure<\/a>&#8220;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2021\/05\/17\/investors-disc-test\/\">Investors&#8217; DISC test to assess your traits<\/a>&#8220;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2021\/08\/31\/circle-of-competence\/\">The importance of circle of competence<\/a>&#8220;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2021\/11\/25\/why-people-with-high-iq-prone-invest-failed\/\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2021\/11\/25\/why-people-with-high-iq-prone-invest-failed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Why people with high IQ prone invest failed<\/a>&#8220;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2022\/03\/14\/too-high-iq-is-not-useful-in-investment-but-will-hinder\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Too high IQ is not useful in investment, but will hinder<\/a>&#8220;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2024\/09\/14\/behavior-bound-to-fail\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">List of behaviors that are bound to fail when investing in stocks<\/a>&#8220;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2021\/05\/07\/why-successful-manager-usually-not-a-good-investor\/\">Why successful manager usually not a good investor? <\/a>&#8220;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/2021\/05\/02\/why-the-successful-skills-needed-for-stock-investment-is-opposite-of-successful-workplace-skills\/\">Workplace skills doesn&#8217;t help much in investment<\/a>&#8220;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Disclaimer<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>The content of this site is the author\u2019s personal opinions and is for reference only. I am not responsible for the correctness, opinions, and immediacy of the content and information of the article. Readers must make their own judgments.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>I shall not be liable for any damages or other legal liabilities for the direct or indirect losses caused by the readers&#8217; direct or indirect reliance on and reference to the information on this site, or all the responsibilities arising therefrom, as a result of any investment behavior.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Average people just want to get something for nothing, everyone know that. Most people just want to reap what they sow, while stock market investors only want to gain without effort. This is a well-known and timeless law.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":40200,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,402],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40176","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-investing-behavior","category-jesse-livermore"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40176","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40176"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40176\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40804,"href":"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40176\/revisions\/40804"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40200"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40176"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40176"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.granitefirm.com\/blog\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40176"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}