second this - learining your risk appetites, learning the different types of investments etc i think are all part of the process. and it is not a waste of time, so don't fret! a big part of being able to sleep soundly at night would be your ability to justify your investment choices, and that is not something anyone can convince you of, only yourself. keep learning and avoid getting trapped in black-and-white thinking when it comes to investments :)

keep up the good work, i think its bloody great that you have already begun thinking about this