Go back to the lost decade before and is what you are saying true when SP500 traded flat for ten years?

https://inflationchart.com/spx-in-cpi/?time=20%20years&show_...

You had to wait until 2013 to have what you had in 2001, which is awful. Better than cash for 13 years yes haha but a diverse portfolio with other things like gold which went nuts over that time would be way ahead.