FOMO from the other side – the fear of what could have been yours
Everyone knows the FOMO of rallies — that feeling when you see a stock soaring, your heart starts pounding, your hands itch to buy, and your mind whispers, “I can't miss this again!”
But there's also another FOMO, more hidden, quieter
— the FOMO of declines.
It's that same inner voice that tells you: “Don't buy now, it will drop further.”
And then the next morning comes — the market is green, the stock jumped 10% from the bottom, and you're left with the most stinging feeling there is:
Not only were you afraid — you missed your chance to be brave when it truly mattered.
The FOMO of declines is no less painful than that of rallies, perhaps even more so.
Because when you chase rallies – at least you're “playing.”
But when you freeze during declines – you stay on the sidelines, watching from the stands while others buy cheap, and you only reinforce the story you tell yourself: “I always enter too late.”
So here's the simple truth:
Opportunities don't look shiny when they arrive.
They look like fear, uncertainty, and blood in the streets.
And if you want to be on the other side of FOMO — the one who smiles when the market is stressed — you need to train yourself to recognize moments of fear not as danger, but as a call to action.
Listen to a personal story: During the April declines, when screens were red and people lost their shirts in the market, I called a relative of mine who manages nearly a quarter of a billion dollars in the United States
I asked him - "Honestly, how do you deal with sharp declines?"
Do you know what he answered me?
He answered me, "It's a blast" - or in other words, while everyone else is fleeing, scared, angry, he simply smiles and enjoys it, and most importantly, acts.
Two months ago he visited Israel, I sat with him, he showed me how precisely during declines they operate with a clear strategy and execute market actions with returns of hundreds of percent in a short timeframe!
So remember:
The fear may not disappear.
But whoever learns to act with it – to smile and enjoy, and most importantly not to freeze – is the one who ultimately reaps the rewards.