--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think people are complacent. But…" description: "\"I think people are complacent. But complacency is like any other metric. It's easy to measure where it is, but it's hard to tell how persistent it is. ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b20/john-manley-38458_complacency_i-think-people-are-complacent-but-compla_2954547.jpg" --- # I think people are complacent. But complacency is like any… ![“I think people are complacent. But complacency is like any other metric. It's easy to measure where it is, but it's hard to tell how persistent it is. What causes really big bear markets is not just when people are overly complacent - it's when that complacency is sticky. As long as the skepticism…” quote by John Manley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b20/john-manley-38458_complacency_i-think-people-are-complacent-but-compla_2954547.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b20/john-manley-38458_complacency_i-think-people-are-complacent-but-compla_2954547.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b20/john-manley-38458_complacency_i-think-people-are-complacent-but-compla_2954547.jpg) > “I think people are complacent. But complacency is like any other metric. It's easy to measure where it is, but it's hard to tell how persistent it is. What causes really big bear markets is not just when people are overly complacent - it's when that complacency is sticky. As long as the skepticism can refresh itself, I think that the markets are still quite viable.” [John Manley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-manley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Complacency is measurable but its persistence is hard to gauge; sticky complacency fuels major bear markets, while refreshed skepticism keeps markets viable. **In simple terms:** Complacency can be measured, but its lasting effect is tricky. Key Takeaway Monitor complacency and refresh skepticism to sustain markets. Themes economics market cycles psychology Mood cautious analytical Type economic strategic When to use this quote - investment strategy - financial planning - market analysis - policy making Key Concepts behavioral finance risk perception Questions to Reflect On - What indicators signal sticky complacency? - How can investors counteract complacent mindsets? A Different Perspective It may overstate complacency's role compared to other factors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Complacency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complacency/) [Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) [Investing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investing/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Persistent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persistent/) [Skepticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skepticism/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“If your audience is overly complacent, begin with the complication to create a sense of urgency.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-mckinsey/if-your-audience-is-overly-complacent-begin-with-the-complication-to/) Dave McKinsey > [Bull markets are great, but they breed complacency. Bear markets can be energizing. Instead of fretting over the decline in your net worth, think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-stewart/bull-markets-are-great-but-they-breed-complacency-bear-markets-can-be/) [James Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-stewart/) > [It never was my thinking that made the big money for me. It always was my sitting. Got that? My sitting tight! It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-lefevre/it-never-was-my-thinking-that-made-the-big-money-for-me-it-always-was-2/) [Edwin Lefevre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-lefevre/) > [There will always be bull markets followed by bear markets followed by bull markets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-templeton/there-will-always-be-bull-markets-followed-by-bear-markets-followed/) [John Templeton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-templeton/) > [Bull markets and Bear markets can obscure mathematical laws, they cannot repeal them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/bull-markets-and-bear-markets-can-obscure-mathematical-laws-they/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [“Bear markets are like bad colds. You hate them, but you know eventually you'll feel better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-h-mcintyre/bear-markets-are-like-bad-colds-you-hate-them-but-you-know-eventually/) [Marvin H. McIntyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-h-mcintyre/) > [“The longer the bull market lasts the more severely investors will be affected with amnesia; after five years or so, many people no longer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham-david-l-dodd/the-longer-the-bull-market-lasts-the-more-severely-investors-will-be/) Benjamin Graham^David L.Dodd > [“Bear Market Begin Bear Market End Max DD Sept 1929 June 1932 -86.25 July 1933 March 1935 -33.9% March 1937 March 1938 -54.5% Nov…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-abraham/bear-market-begin-bear-market-end-max-dd-sept-1929-june-1932-86-25/) Andrew Abraham > [The bubble, as investing phenomenon, has been well studied ever since the 17th-century tulip bulb frenzy. Its counterpart in bear markets is not well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-bubble-as-investing-phenomenon-has-been-well-studied-ever-since/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“When things go right, much can go wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sonnenberg/when-things-go-right-much-can-go-wrong/) [Frank Sonnenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sonnenberg/) > [“Mediocrity is a pit that swallows people who have rested on seats of complacency for long.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/mediocrity-is-a-pit-that-swallows-people-who-have-rested-on-seats-of/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [“Don’t be deceived by the spirit of complacency and think you have achieved enough. Try to become better than you’ve been.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/don-t-be-deceived-by-the-spirit-of-complacency-and-think-you-have/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [“The simple rule to abide by and become excellent is that “Don’t see what you have achieved yesterday with the same pleasure eyes you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/the-simple-rule-to-abide-by-and-become-excellent-is-that-don-t-see/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [“Complacency happens almost without notice. Check and renew your heart daily.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-george/complacency-happens-almost-without-notice-check-and-renew-your-heart/) [Jim George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-george/) > [“Democracy in books is, for the people, by the people, democracy on street is rule of the apes in a land of sheep.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/democracy-in-books-is-for-the-people-by-the-people-democracy-on/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) ## More by John Manley > [Both Donald Trump and the Democrats have said terrible things about the healthcare companies. If healthcare companies think they can make money in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-manley/both-donald-trump-and-the-democrats-have-said-terrible-things-about/) [John Manley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-manley/) > [The fact that the bond market is rallying today is a plus. If this ends up being a bear market, it will be one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-manley/the-fact-that-the-bond-market-is-rallying-today-is-a-plus-if-this/) [John Manley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-manley/) > [Be flexible. Don't be afraid to change your mind. If you're wrong, change your mind. If you go down the wrong path, and you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-manley/be-flexible-don-t-be-afraid-to-change-your-mind-if-you-re-wrong/) [John Manley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-manley/) > [The other kind of market like technology is healthcare. Nobody likes the healthcare industry, but on the other hand, everyone wants to live longer.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-manley/the-other-kind-of-market-like-technology-is-healthcare-nobody-likes/) [John Manley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-manley/) > [What caused 2008, in my opinion, is that people just didn't see the risk. These people that took on all this risk didn't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-manley/what-caused-2008-in-my-opinion-is-that-people-just-didn-t-see-the/) [John Manley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-manley/) > [Being flexible is incredibly important. You can change your mind. I understand not wanting to flit around, jumping at something little, but you also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-manley/being-flexible-is-incredibly-important-you-can-change-your-mind-i/) [John Manley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-manley/) > [I always think of the economy as going down a pretty broad road that has mud on either side - for inflation and deflation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-manley/i-always-think-of-the-economy-as-going-down-a-pretty-broad-road-that/) [John Manley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-manley/) > [People are getting tired of being constantly on edge. Maybe that means they do let down their guard or that they're complacent. What does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-manley/people-are-getting-tired-of-being-constantly-on-edge-maybe-that-means/) [John Manley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-manley/) > [There's an old line that goes, the truck you see 400 yards down the road is not the truck that hits you. When we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-manley/there-s-an-old-line-that-goes-the-truck-you-see-400-yards-down-the/) [John Manley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-manley/) > [Both cream and scum can rise to the top, unfortunately. This lower-quality stuff that's going higher isn't doing it on fundamentals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-manley/both-cream-and-scum-can-rise-to-the-top-unfortunately-this-lower/) [John Manley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-manley/) [Explore all 11 John Manley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-manley/) ## More Complacency quotes > [“Complacency delivered us into the hands of evil greedy men like Cheney.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-rumzi/complacency-delivered-us-into-the-hands-of-evil-greedy-men-like-cheney/) [Sonia Rumzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-rumzi/) > [He who is content with what has been done is an obstacle in the path of progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/he-who-is-content-with-what-has-been-done-is-an-obstacle-in-the-path/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [Don't let your success of today lay you into complacency for tomorrow. For that is the worst form of failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/don-t-let-your-success-of-today-lay-you-into-complacency-for-tomorrow/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [One of the reasons people hate politics is that truth is rarely a politician's objective. Election and power are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/one-of-the-reasons-people-hate-politics-is-that-truth-is-rarely-a/) [Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/) > [We are the best the show, others weak hold. Just to get complacency / which does not](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/we-are-the-best-the-show-others-weak-hold-just-to-get-complacency/) Mak\_786 > [“It’s a fallacy that this generation does not know how to love as its predecessor did. Truth of the matter is, modern love is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lebo-grand/it-s-a-fallacy-that-this-generation-does-not-know-how-to-love-as-its/) [Lebo Grand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lebo-grand/) > [“To move forward, one need only take the first step,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chase-neill/to-move-forward-one-need-only-take-the-first-step/) Chase Neill > [Plato calls complacency the companion of loneliness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-grillparzer/plato-calls-complacency-the-companion-of-loneliness/) [Franz Grillparzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-grillparzer/) > [“Half the ingratitude and complacency in the world down to how slowly and imperceptibly most good and bad things unfold.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/half-the-ingratitude-and-complacency-in-the-world-down-to-how-slowly/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [Don't let your special character and values, the secret that you know and no one else does, the truth - don't let that get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/don-t-let-your-special-character-and-values-the-secret-that-you-know/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [In the mind engaged in struggling with hardship, one always finds something delightful. The sorrow of disappointment arises in the complacency of satisfaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zicheng-hong/in-the-mind-engaged-in-struggling-with-hardship-one-always-finds/) [Zicheng Hong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zicheng-hong/) > [Complacency is a creeping danger. Unless wisdom sets in, you will never come to your senses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jey-lopez/complacency-is-a-creeping-danger-unless-wisdom-sets-in-you-will-never/) [Jey Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jey-lopez/) > [I have spoken about what we can do as citizens, what we can do as a responsive citizenry, and this is where we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/i-have-spoken-about-what-we-can-do-as-citizens-what-we-can-do-as-a/) [Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/) > [“Listen to Mr. Complacency long enough and he'll convince you that what you really, really need is a nap.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-and-brett-harris/listen-to-mr-complacency-long-enough-and-he-ll-convince-you-that-what/) Alex and Brett Harris > [I always say, complacency is the kiss of death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shari-redstone/i-always-say-complacency-is-the-kiss-of-death/) [Shari Redstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shari-redstone/) [Browse all 437 Complacency quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complacency/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think people are complacent. 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