This year has served as a reminder to both Wall Street and the investing community that stocks don't move up in a straight line. The first six months of 2022 saw the S&P 500 deliver its worst return in 52 years. Meanwhile, the growth-propelled Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) plunged as much as 34% from its record-closing high set in November 2021. You'll note by the magnitude of this decline that the widely followed Nasdaq entrenched itself firmly in a bear market.

Although bear market declines can be unnerving, unpredictable, and test the resolve of investors, they're a perfectly normal part of the investing cycle and the ideal time for long-term investors to put their money to work. After all, each and every double-digit percentage decline in the major U.S. indexes, including the Nasdaq Composite, has eventually been recouped (and some) by a bull market rally.

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Source Fool.com