A New Investor Asks If The Dot-Com Bubble Or 2008 Crash Felt 'Like The End Of The World.' Veterans Reflect On The Panic And The Lessons

A Reddit user who began investing during the COVID-19 pandemic wanted to know what it really felt like to live through the dot-com crash and the 2008 financial crisis. “Did it feel like the end of the world?” they asked in the r/stocks subreddit recently.

Hundreds of experienced investors responded with stories, lessons, and memories that painted a sobering picture of financial chaos, emotional upheaval, and resilience.

Everything Was Going Up, Until It Wasn't

One of the most upvoted replies came from someone who lived through both crashes. “Got killed as a relatively new investor during the dot-com bubble,” they wrote. “Learned my lesson and kept buying [index exchange-traded funds] on the dips during the 2008 financial crisis, which turned out to be some of my best investments ever.”

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Many described the late ’90s as euphoric. “Dot-com bubble was surreal. Everyone was talking about stocks. You'd be going home on the subway and people were talking about what they wanted to invest in,” one commenter recalled. But when the bubble burst, it hit hard. “I lost $10k during the dot-com crash, which hurt really bad as a 23-year-old,” another said.

In contrast, the 2008 crash felt different for some investors. “2008 was horrific,” one wrote. “I thought the world was ending.” Others said it wasn’t just about numbers on a screen. “People lost their houses, people killed themselves.”

Lessons In Panic And Patience

Several investors noted they made their best financial moves by holding steady. “I was scared because I had just bought a house, but I kept investing into my 401(k), and it turned out to be a very good move,” one said. Another shared, “All fun and games until you lose your job, then sell stocks at the bottom, then lose your house.”

Some remembered cashing out early, only to miss the rebound. Others stayed the course. “Never sold! I only invest in stock index funds. Stick with a diversified portfolio and enjoy the magic of compounding,” one long-time investor advised.

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One user who lost more than 75% of their portfolio in 2008 said it took eight years to fully recover. “Kept to my plan,” they said. “Now have over $6.5M.”

“Remember 2008 like it was yesterday. Family's home was appraised at $176K and sold at sheriff’s sale for $38K,” another added.

One commenter said they had to rent out rooms and work multiple jobs just to keep their home. “Had to hustle. It was a rough time.”

The Calm Before The Crash

What struck several people was how confident everyone felt before the fall. “Pizza delivery drivers were buying real estate with zero down,” one recalled. “Anyone buying a property would buy a second one for income or to flip and pay for the first one.”

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The thread also drew comparisons to the current artificial intelligence boom. “Never felt like the world was ending for any of these crashes. The potential impending AI bubble worries me more than either of these did. It has a more existential, end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it vibe,” someone warned.

People were buying anything with “.com” in the name in 1999, and the same is happening now with AI.

While some called today's fears over tariffs and inflation “a blip” compared to 2008, others urged caution. “This isn't going to end well,” one wrote. 

The mood may not always signal a crash, but as one investor summed it up: “It's not really the end of the world, but it can be the end of your world.”

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