The key to making money in stocks is not to get scared out of them.

Lynch’s remark distills a central lesson from long-term equity investing: volatility is normal, and the greatest threat to compounding returns is often the investor’s own panic. “Getting scared out” refers to selling quality holdings during market drawdowns or temporary bad news, thereby locking in losses and missing the subsequent recovery. The quote also implies that successful stock investing is as much psychological as analytical—discipline, patience, and a time horizon aligned with business fundamentals matter more than reacting to short-term price swings. It fits Lynch’s broader emphasis on staying invested in understandable companies and letting time and earnings growth do the work.