One common saying in the world of stock investing is:

“Don’t just read books about investing — actually buy some stocks yourself, even if it’s only a small amount.”

There are countless books that teach investment theory and principles.

But the real test comes when your own money begins rising and falling with the market.

Only then do you discover whether you can truly stay calm under pressure.

Much like learning to swim only on dry land, there are things people can understand only through real experience.

Shohei Ohtani expressed a similar idea regarding baseball.

At the beginning of the 2024 season, Ohtani went more than 40 plate appearances without hitting a home run.

Some people blamed the stress surrounding the Ippei Mizuhara scandal or the difficulty of adjusting to a new team.

But Ohtani viewed the situation differently.

His thought process was simple:

“If my feeling at the plate isn’t good, then it makes sense that the home runs aren’t coming.”

According to Ohtani, hitters are rarely in perfect rhythm during the early part of the season.

If your feeling is good and the results still are not coming, that is a problem.

But if the feeling itself is not yet there, then the key is simply regaining the right rhythm and timing.

And that cannot be achieved through practice alone.

Ohtani explained:

“No matter how many at-bats you take in spring training, there are certain things you can only develop during real games in the regular season.”

In other words, there are sensations, adjustments, and instincts that can only be sharpened under genuine competitive pressure.

Some lessons cannot be learned at a desk or in practice.

They can only be learned through real competition.

Source

This quote comes from a Japanese book published in Japan and is not currently available in English.

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