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Are you a risk-averse individual who values routine, predictability, and a slow pace?
Do you relish uncertainty and thrive on taking risks?
Or are you somewhere in between?
This can concern your career, love life, and/or anything else you'd like to discuss.
I've been with the same woman for 14 years and in the same job for over 7 years, so I clearly fall in the former camp.
While I've lived a good life thus far (I'm 34), I feel that I've played it a little too safe -- owing in part to my introverted nature. But I know today is as good a day as any to begin changing that.
Are you a risk-averse individual who values routine, predictability, and a slow pace?
Do you relish uncertainty and thrive on taking risks?
Or are you somewhere in between?
This can concern your career, love life, and/or anything else you'd like to discuss.
I've been with the same woman for 14 years and in the same job for over 7 years, so I clearly fall in the former camp.
While I've lived a good life thus far (I'm 34), I feel that I've played it a little too safe -- owing in part to my introverted nature. But I know today is as good a day as any to begin changing that.
What about you?
I lean towards playing it safe, which is why I'm in the personal situation I'm in now. I feel like life and time is slipping away from me and I'm still wishing for the same things I was wishing for back in 2007 when I was in college but have been too afraid to actually pursue (or did but gave it up). I'm a year younger than you and can definitely relate to your need to change. It's good to find some kind of balance. I know my 2007 self, if he could meet me in 2019, would likely take a frying pan and knock 2019 me unconscious because of how stupid I was.
OTOH, I had a very good friend for years who was the opposite...he thrived on taking risks, even ones that seemed crazy to everyone else, and was overall very reckless. That extreme isn't good either.
I've taken a lot of risks in my life and most have proven to be interesting in my memories and some even economically good for me. Most I would consider insignificant risks as compared to the real risk takers. However, I only took risks when I was much younger and thought I had some time to recover from a risk gone bad. In American economic life, it used to be that you either take risks early on or you could end up on food stamps and living in someone else's house, or worse, under a bridge. I'm guessing the same applies today.
These days at nearly 70, serious risks to me are things smart young people or dumb old people do. I just stand out of their way with my bag of popcorn as they rush hither and thither to either fame and fortune, oblivion or the poorhouse.
I think a healthy combination of the two is a good thing. I like being safe and secure but hate wondering what if.
I guess it’s not really risks I’ve taken but leaps of faith. It may even be the same thing as a risk. I like them to be educated leaps. Do all the research I can and then take that jump.
I play it safe, too safe. I have taken risks and many have worked out, yet I'm still risk averse. This really bites me in the a*s in my personal life. So many missed opportunities by not taking a risk.
Not across the board either way. Depends on what it is. So much depends on your knowledge/experience/confidence level on different aspects of life. I play it safe with money matters as it's not my strong suite. I'm more likely to take more risks in outdoor activities based on known abilities. Also where I decide to live as my profession moved me around a lot and I learned to bloom where I was planted.
I'm somewhere in the middle. I am more risk averse than some people would think, but the way it plays out is that I do a lot of research and if I feel that most of the risk can be managed or mitigated, then I'll do a thing. I strategize, analyze and plan. I like to feel that I am more or less in control of things, or that the odds of a bad outcome are not very great. And there are some outcomes that many people fear, but I'm not afraid of, so taking the risk doesn't really feel that scary to me.
One area where my choices would seem risky to some, has been my sex life. During certain periods of my life (relatively brief ones) when I was available, not in a committed relationship, I was more willing to engage in casual dalliance. But then there was risk management, because there was protection and I was getting tested every 3 months for STIs and made sure my contraceptive game was on point during those times. I'd done my research on what the reality is, of various STIs so I felt confident about my risk mitigation and my willingness to accept and ability to handle any consequences. I made my choices from a risk aware place. And the one thing that many people fear, emotional pain, isn't something I fear that much at all. I believe that experiencing emotional disturbance is part of being alive, and it's nothing I cannot handle.
But I was far more careful about escalating to a "serious" relationship. I did not want to take risks involved when people live together or escalate things. Like, "can I trust you not to flake on the rent, create drama, steal my stuff, or destroy the house" type risks. I took time to evaluate my partner's character before we talked about sharing a home. Like 2 years.
I am not afraid of flying, and I'm not afraid of roller coasters. Some people consider those activities risky. I feel that the odds of a bad outcome are so low, that they aren't risky enough to worry about. Driving my car is more dangerous.
But I hate being lost, or not sure where to park, that kind of thing. I plan out any travel, whether across town or cross country, meticulously, and I know ahead of time where I plan to park, especially in an unfamiliar city.
I go to metal concerts and I love to be front row. People crushing, elbows in my back, crowd surfers bumbling by overhead... But I have a whole bunch of strategies that have, thus far, kept me safe. There is risk, but I mitigate it.
Financially, I play it safe in some ways (not trying to go into business for myself while I have two sons relying on my income to provide them with a roof over their heads for instance) and risky in others, like at my age, my 401K is still in somewhat aggressive and relatively volatile stocks, rather than a safer play. I still have decades before retirement age, so...
I am a risk taker. I hate playing it safe because I it makes me feel like I might have missed out on a good opportunity.
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