Did stock picking/trading ever, truly, exists in the first place? Every story was about creating public awareness and hype....pump and dump, or the occasional lucky g*mble, but nothing steady.
That's the great thing about understanding the broad market, S&P, it's solid and steady and real for a trader to learn, grasp, and steadily succeed and grow in.
The best traders in the world master the main index.
While salesmen talk about individual stocks to learn, and sell the dream to.