Gambling

[minionofmidas]

Option 1, though anyone who gambles as a way of making money is a fool.

If you just simply enjoy gambling, that's fine, but in the long run you are guaranteed to lose money.

Not true. Believe it or not, there's people who gamble for a living(though they are a rarity). These people are pros too, they know how to gamble and win consistently. Also, even infrequent gamblers can make money in the long run if they know how. So, while possible to lose money in the long run, it's no gaurantee.

There are people who play Poker for money. If you know the best way to play and find people who don't and are willing to play you for largish sums, you'll usually gain money. There is a risk of losing, but if that qualifies as gambling then so does any business venture.

[minionofmidas]

Option 1, though anyone who gambles as a way of making money is a fool.

If you just simply enjoy gambling, that's fine, but in the long run you are guaranteed to lose money.

Not true. Believe it or not, there's people who gamble for a living(though they are a rarity). These people are pros too, they know how to gamble and win consistently. Also, even infrequent gamblers can make money in the long run if they know how. So, while possible to lose money in the long run, it's no gaurantee.

There are people who play Poker for money. If you know the best way to play and find people who don't and are willing to play you for largish sums, you'll usually gain money. There is a risk of losing, but if that qualifies as gambling then so does any business venture.

Exactly - life is all about gambling. Every time you decide to do one thing rather than another, you are taking a chance that you will make more(in money, enjoyment, or other form of gain) than you would by making a different decision. If you never take chances, you'll never get anywhere - but you can often make more by gauging the odds wisely.

The stock market is a gamble.

No it's not. That is just one of the stupid miths that have been formed around the stock market, and promoted by Wall Street so that the people think they can't make money and terefor trust the Brokers with what to do with their savings. Stock market is not gambling since you are creating wealth, as oposite to gambling, where nothing is created, and because in the long term the stocks' tendency is to go nowhere but up.

...at inflation levels.