Pot odds

[nihil]

I've got a very basic question. I'm pretty new to poker, I've got a lot of literature and am reading up.

I understand that one needs to play the pot odds so that they are higher than the odds of making your hand IF you think that hand will win.

Is the importance in this idea that in the long run you will expect positive gains? Namely, if one consistently played bad pot odds, over many many hands one would tend to lose money?

Thanks