So it's really just psychological comfort vs math. 

Bad timing in a turbulent stock market can set you back for years before breaking even, and if you happen to need to sell some stocks during a market correction to pay bills, that can be very destabilizing…both financially and psychologically.

It’s almost like war in a psychological sense.

The psychology of the confluence and flow between desired active returns, vs desired passive returns, and industry created expectations is a really fascinating study.  

As long as one pays rent, the anchor will slowing or prevent the boat from moving far, either physically, psychologically, or both...

The psychology of the deal.

But recently it's taking a toll on me psychologically and I'm wondering if gambling is really for me but either if I keep playing poker or not I need to find something more productive to do with my earnings.

@Ali Boone I'm getting my Ph.D. in clinical psychology so I will eventually be a psychologist.

Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (USACAPOC), while on active duty in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

I think control is a huge issue for a lot of folks psychologically.