Risks always go with chances. Smart people is the one who can pass risks to get profits. They always see the long way not the near future. After that, they have some plan to do.
I don't think long term plan is a smart move. It can be a very common person who get to know that long term will benefit him and he can only hold. Honestly speaking only holding and waiting that a time will come that I will get profit is not smart in my opinion. Those who don't have any other option will hold. Smart are the one's who get benefits in the tough time.
it depends on what you are investing your money in for long term. for example if you invested in Apple or Microsoft, ... or companies like that then the long term outlook have been awesome for you. but if you invested in some company that disappeared and died then obviously your money vanished in the long run with it.
I also want to disagree with this in OP that is saying:
“What seems too high and risky to the majority generally goes higher and what seems low and cheap generally goes lower.”
When majority thinks something then that thing will definitely become true. for example if majority thinks a certain price is low and cheap then the majority won't just stop at thinking it, they will act on it which means they will buy it at the price where they think it is cheap and as a result price won't go any lower than that.
