In general, is the average crypto miners and investors more risk seekers than risk averse. Do you like to gamble, is the thrill of winning worth more than the fear of losing money for you?
I am getting a lot of flak from my wife and friends for investing and mining coins, are you people getting the same objection from family and friends

I believe the term is "speculation".
Buying altcoins should rarely if ever be considered an "investment".