Some people say “to risk means to make stupid mistakes”. Others say “who doesn’t take any risk doesn’t get anywhere”. Our experience and mind say “Too risky, don’t do that!” Our heart whispers “Try it!”
A mind resp. science through Daniel Kahneman’s words says that people are extremely sensitive to a possibility to lose something in comparison to a possibility to get something. Dan Ariely amends that with a proof that all of us want to have a back door, spare option “just in case”. We are literally obsessed with it.
Anyway, there are many activities where there are no back door. Or there is high probability of failure. 90% of startups end up being closed till a few years, sales conversion oscillate around a few percent or even promiles. There are sports and professions where one mistake may cost you your life. Despite all of these facts there are people who go for it. No, they were not absent when there was a probability class at school. They just understand the fact that when danger is extreme they have to be extreme in preparation, knowledge, effort, focus, performance… everything. They only consider this as a bit more strict scale even they know it is actually very big scale.
So, to go for something considered “risky” does not have to mean having smaller self-preservation instinct or to lack a fear. It means to consider strict rules of a game in a very precise way. It means to make everything possible to avoid failure. It is uncomfortable, difficult and it hurts. That is why most of people “don’t take risk”. Intentionally in quotation marks.
