When the stakes are low or carefree, we like the thrill of risk, as long as we're in control. But in society, we prefer to publicly minimize risk and pretend to control it, sometimes to the point of denying it, as with smokers' cigarettes or CO2 from human activity, or removing all control from those who might take risks. Zero risk.
Xgames and RedBull competitions remind us just how much we enjoy witnessing risky feats. These daredevil athletes are worthy descendants of the tightrope walkers and neckbreakers who thrilled our grandparents in traveling circuses. What a contrast with today's schoolyards, where the slightest risk is valued in insurance premiums and parental complaints.
Knowing how to assess risk, knowing when to take risks and why, are all skills that need to be developed. You won't make a nollie on a skateboard on the first day, but you can try, just for fun. F1 driver Mario Andretti's quote: "If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough. (If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough), gives an idea of the mentality of people who take risks: push the limits, explore the margins, get there first, give yourself emotions.
Risk also has a pedagogical potential. A well-known fact of social psychology is that "stress increases the dominant response". When you're good, you get better; when you're not so good, you get worse. Stress is good for people in control and not so good for others, which makes it an interesting evaluation criterion. Someone who never takes risks probably doesn't have much confidence in his or her abilities. Taking risks often reveals one's own potential and liberates one from one's supposed limits. What seemed risky to us is not necessarily so once we've passed the test, such as public speaking, doing a backflip or going abroad. Risk is part of everyday life for entrepreneurs, and those who succeed have learned to tame it.
This doesn't mean taking ill-considered risks or avoiding them altogether; in most situations, risk is very relative, you won't die from it, and what seems risky to some, isn't at all to others. As a result, the fears of some need not prevent others from exploring their limits. Risk is also a school of courage and daring.
Are there enough risks at school already? It depends on which ones. The risk of failure exists when you have to follow a program you didn't choose. Control is the first condition for taking measured risks. It can be learned and taught.
Are you ready?
Denys Lamontagne - [email protected]
Illustration: zhukovvlad - DepositPhotos
