Offline
The bottom line is if you haven't profited the last eight years then shame on you.
I'm 48 and I've been active in the market since my freshman year in college. I lost a bunch in 87. The 90s were pretty darn good. I give the early 0s a pass due to Bush's bungling and 9/11, but the best 8 years the market has ever seen have been under Barrack Hussein Obama.
And like you said, "if you haven't profited the last eight years" then you weren't invested.