The best definition that I can give on investing is, that it is the mechanism available to everyone by which they can transfer wealth earned today to tomorrow, and not only transfer but multiply and increase, through compounding, so that their future lives can be transformed into something exciting and worry-free, enriched with abundant time to allow them to live as they desire without the constraints and burdens imposed by a lack of finances so often foisted upon the majority.
Investing is a gateway to freedom and prosperity. It is a tool that when properly used brings wealth and its attendant benefits but when improperly used is the saddest and most misunderstood joke played upon unsuspecting mankind.
Saddest because it creates the illusion that wealth is just around the corner, implies the carrot is right there for the taking, promises vast rewards and riches easily attained, yet in the end, after making investors jump through a myriad of hoops and time wasting activities, fails miserably to deliver.
Misunderstood because its inherent simplicity, that is to buy low and sell high, is oft times equated with ease, but simplicity and ease are two very different animals - the latter being like a well bred horse, majestic and proud with perfect proportions where everything fits, logic prevails and it is obvious to everyone that there is just one way, the effortless way, and that this is it. The former is like a wolverine, work-like and efficient but nevertheless underestimated, ferocious and not easily tamed.
The fact that many assume without much thought, that simplicity is identical to ease, then make decisions and go forth with actions based upon that assumption, shows that they know little about investing, and have even less discipline because they will ...