In my experience, it doesn't seem to be the chance of big returns, but rather the gut feeling of actively "doing something" to invest, vs. a very passive simple

In my experience, it doesn't seem to be the chance of big returns, but rather the gut feeling of actively "doing something" to invest, vs. a very passive simple strategy of dollar cost averaging a low-fee broad index ETF. I think particularly in popular American culture, we often feel like it's more moral to actively make every penny, and have an aversion to passively earning money. Landlords are demonized, etc.