mvncnt/blog

Came across this article on Wired about risk taking. It’s something that I can relate to and it’s how I do things. Risk taking brings about new experiences and growth. You put yourself in an unknown situation and you must react accordingly. As I have gotten older I have learned to understand risks better. In order to take on this attitude a person can’t worry about every decision but accept it and keep it moving, stay positive, and have some swag. This way is not for everyone though, but its how I do things.  

“Among our primitive ancestors, those who ventured farthest from their caves in search of better food or who overcame their fear of fire accrued significant advantages over their meeker kin. That’s why a lot of us like the idea of living on the edge: It’s in our DNA to take risks…Done artfully and wisely, living dangerously engages our intellect, advances society, and even makes us happier.

A 2005 German study concluded that people who take above-average risks have a higher-than-average index of life satisfaction. Researchers at the University of British Columbia found that among business managers in the US and Canada, those who take greater risks are the most successful. More risk, more reward—not to mention livelier cocktail-party conversation.

On a bell curve, the timid and the reckless are the outliers. The one-third who are slightly more likely to take risks I call “The Golden Third”.

It is possible to work consciously toward joining “The Golden Third”: Just get in there and start pitching. As with knife-throwing, unicycle-riding, and whip-handling, one gets better mainly by practice. Make your choices smart ones. It’s not difficult to discriminate between a good, soul-enriching risk and one that’s just plain nuts.

The most successful adventurers take the high road of risk-taking without falling off the mountain. They channel neither Evel Knievel nor Caspar Milquetoast, neither lion tamer nor monk. That’s the golden art of living dangerously.”