I don&#x27;t know if there is reason to be either optimistic or pessimistic, but let&#x27;s not be simplistic.<p>The long run is incredibly hard to predict, with all the cool tech around the corner and scientific advances that may be available in 30-50 years, the stock market may simply not be a big factor in most people&#x27;s lives.<p>Maybe that is the worst fear of a company like Bloomberg that exists to be the ESPN of financial randomness.