Smart-Sounding Temptations To Sell As the Market Rose

September, 1947. World War II is over and wartime spending plunges, worrying economists that we'd plunge back into the Great Depression. The Council of Economic Advisers sends President Truman a report warning of "a full-scale depression some time in next one to four years." A recession begins two months later.

The stock market more than doubles over the next four years.

The S&P 500 rose more than 100-fold from 1950 to today, adjusted for inflation. But at every step of the way there have been smart-sounding temptations to sell never look back.

I compiled a few:

More From Fool.com

Warren Buffett Tells You How to Turn $40 Into $10 Million

LeBron James: The Next Warren Buffett?

Social Security: 3 Things to Know Before Taking Benefits Early

3 Social Security Secrets You Probably Don't Know

(Click image to enlarge).

The takeaway isn't that the market is safe. It's that bad news almost never supersedes the power of true patience.

For more:

• Things I'm pretty sure about
• Why we're terrified of typical
• Is today's market more volatile than the past?
• The evolution of good investing ideas

This article is part of Motley Fool Mindset, an exclusive behavioral-finance service in Motley Fool One. Clickhere for more.

Contact Morgan Housel at mhousel@fool.com. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.