The philosophy of risk - Why should we take risks in life?

What is life without a few adventures? Comfortable? Safe? Easy? Going out of your comfort zone is never easy. It takes courage. It takes heart. So why do people talk about taking risks? Why jeopardize everything that you have? It is because success and more importantly growth lie outside the bubble of comfort. People who take this leap, do it for their own satisfaction and peace. So that when they look in the mirror, they are not faced with regret that they didn’t even try.

Uncertainty is the main hurdle that stops people from taking any chances in life. Fear of uncertainty is like a black hole that consumes all our hopes and aspirations. Even so, if you look at life, haven't we being facing this enemy and upgrading in life at one point or another like applying for a better job, asking someone out for a date, or trying new outfits. Upon careful introspection, doesn't everything involve a grade of risk? Walking, you might fall, eating, you might choke, driving, you might get into an accident. So why take these risks, and avoid others? Is it because you have been doing it all your life and now you have become accustomed to them? Following the same reasoning, why not try other things to attain what we want?

What do people say to avoid risks?

1. I will do it when I’m ready / I'll do it when the time is right – Some of us are waiting for opportunities to knock on our doorstep. Likewise, some of us are waiting for everything to be precise to start a new undertaking. How do you know you have all figured out? No one can be ready in life as it can take any unexpected turn at any time. Instead of paralyzing yourself with doubts and fears owing to the weight of 'succeding', take small steps and normalize going out of your comfort zone first.

2. I’m happy with what I have – If you really are, you will not be reading this post. Instead, you would be doing what you really like. The very sentence proves that you lived a life without the fear of risks. Otherwise, you are lying to yourself. What you think to be a comfort zone, will slowly turn into a stagnant pond.

3. What if something goes wrong? – If something goes awry, you will figure out how to fix it. You will ask for help. And believe me, you will find a lot of help, throughout your journey. There are a lot of people who are in the same situation as you or have gone through the same trouble and are more than willing to share their truth.

4. I’m scared – Don’t be scared of the consequences before you even make any move. Things might and will derail sometimes. And it's alright. There is always something to learn from our mistakes and failures. If you acknowledge your oversights, you will be able to laugh with others and make your life a lot easier.

How to start taking risks in life?

We have talked enough about avoiding risks in life. How do we start taking risks in life? Here, we come across another term, calculated risks. Don’t mistake it with a foolish risk wherein you jump into a situation blindly.

Calculated risks are those where you know the chance of losing or lose, like in a business. you can be are of your standing by doing your due diligence of research as you do before buying a phone or a laptop.

Here are the three things you should do to avoid the chances of failure -

1. Do the legwork – Research all that you can. Talk to people. You will know the chances of failure involved and you will feel more confident.

2. Be Ready to adapt – Not all things will work in your favor all the time. Some things might go wrong. So, be prepared to make changes in the details down the line. Like Jeff Bezos said, "stay focused on your vision but humble on details."

3. Split the chunk – Divide your end goal into milestones. This will do important things, make your work more achievable and you will not overwhelm yourselves. Thus, there will less chance of error.

What will you lose if you take risks? Nothing (unless it’s a gamble). You will gain experience and knowledge if things go amiss. Similarly, what will you gain if you take a few calculated risks in life? Victory and confidence, if everything goes according to your calculations. No one can assure full success in all the endeavors that you try. Attempting new things means facing the unknown.

Life is beautiful. But not easy. If you feel scared, remember our brains have evolved to avoid us from taking dangerous steps. So, it’s normal for us to hesitate from trying something new. What's uncertain is not always bad. Things can turn out as good as you might have imagined it.