If you really consider it, there are actually an amazing number of life's situations which are inherently risky. Nearly everything a person does is some form of gambling. Even with such mundane act of getting up and going to work, increases one's chances of being killed in a transportation accident. In face of today and everything you know about investing, whether it is in business, an asset class (stocks, bonds, real estate, cash and toto 4d commodities), or index fund, even in its most basic element, it's nothing but "betting" that someday tomorrow is going to be better with pleasant expected returns on investment; or even not. There is only one big risk you should avoid and that's the risk of doing nothing and not taking your chance.

Come to look at it in face value, investing in almost any money market really is, legalized gambling, per se.