The trouble is.... what if 50% of people who take their actions go bankrupt, and since you're only asking the ones that survived (this is called survivor bias) then you'll get an incorrect grasp of risk.
Also, if you ask about something in a speculative bubble - of course people that bought into that thing at the time did well - .com millionaires were the thing in the late 90s - bubbles work really well up until they burst.
HG, It all comes back to the onus on the investor.
If I learn about a particular thing; say driving a car (or investing), it's up to me to practice driving to get better in the back streets and in the Coles carpark (say; equivalent to buying a cheaper-end price range 2 bed unit in a normal suburb) before I go out onto the shark infested roads, and I would do it with someone in the car next to me for guidance (a mentor, or this forum, or read books etc).
Then, once I am educated and competent enough, I do it on my own, and hopefully I have the INTELLIGENCE to drive (invest) with safety and caution.
Anyone who listens to the 22 year old driver (newbie or reckless investor or investor with no success) who says; "Yeah, driving (investing) is easy; go as fast as you can everywhere - I do and have had no worries" is asking for death.
Or; listen to the old nanna who has never driven a car (the "armchair investor" or gloom and doomer - there's a few on this site) who sits there and says "I never drive (invest) it's too dangerous. I've seen too many people get hurt".
While she is correct that it is dangerous, she never gets to go anywhere and have a life - the investor never gets rich.
Or, listen to the car salesman (Mortgage Broker or Financial Advisor) who flogs the newbie driver (investor) a car (slick loan or over-priced property or managed fund with high fees) and says how great it is to drive, but never explains the road dangers, and maybe doesn't even drive (invest) himself.
So, HG, while you are demonstrating such noble concern for everyone about losing their shirts, it comes back to the same thing; investing has risk, but the educated people learn to minimise the risks and make money in all markets.
Asking the survivors what they do is smart; the survivors are educated, but have still made mistakes, so we learn from them, learn how to protect our endevours, and make money.
Many of us here are talking from a position of having driven in a few Bathurst 1000's, and tell people how to drive safely.