There are losses that scream. Market crashes. Headline-grabbing bankruptcies. Red numbers flashing across screens like emergency sirens. Those get your attention. They make people panic, sell at the worst moment, and swear they’re “never investing again” right before missing the recovery. Then there are the losses that whisper. They don’t arrive with drama. They don’t trigger breaking news banners. They don’t even feel like losses at all. They feel like nothing happening . And that’s exactly why they’re so dangerous. Inflation. Dilution. The slow erosion of real returns. These are the financial equivalent of termites. By the time you notice structural damage, they’ve already eaten half the house. This is a story about how money quietly loses value even when your account balance looks fine. About how “positive returns” can still mean falling behind. And about why doing nothing, feeling safe, and playing it conservative can be far riskier than people realize. The Illusion of Safet...