I don't think delaying the gratification of our investments is the best method to determine the success of our investment. Your are right that keeping our money invested longer usually means we get a higher return. Both consumption or saving in a bank account gives no return at the moment. Together with the inflation the only alternative we have is to invest, but there can be bad investment. In case we pick a mediocre or bad investment it will not lead to good returns, even if we delay our gratification. That's why we need to keep monitoring our portfolio and reevaluate oir positions. Sometimes it's better to cut losses and move on, instead of waiting for something to turn around. Long term investing is still the most important tool to build wealth.