Someone who is investing in altcoin should always be ready for anything, because altcoin is not a trustworthy cryptocurrency, I don’t think this is new anymore, probably for someone who is a a newbie in the cryptocurrency market.
Most of the altcoins are just created and they lack what we call promotion, people who are promoting this altcoin so more people can invest in them, since the solemnly depend on bitcoin to thrive is always a very difficult situations for them to crash whenever there is downturn in the market.
Besides promotion, most altcoins also lack utility. Because a vast majority of them are only driven by hype. People often see altcoins rising to the moon during periods of hype, making them believe the pattern will continue for the forsseable future. The "get rich quick" mindset will never go away.
The OP is right that we are not ready. Even seasoned crypto users like myself can make mistakes sometimes. All because of the highly-unpredictable nature of the crypto market. Unlike Bitcoin, altcoins are much more volatile and less reliable. Newcomers usually fall for the trap, and end up getting "rekt" in the process. Everything is a mystery in crypto land. Better diversify your investment, to prepare yourself for the worst.