Why should people take risks: compelling reasons given

But this is by no means the only area in which a person can take risks, so everything that is said below can be applied to all areas of human life, including financial.

So why take the risk? All answers to this question come down to one general essence: by taking risks, a person receives not only a certain probability of losses, but also a certain chance of gain, of some changes for the better. The most important aspects of risk can be summarized as follows:

Risk does not guarantee change for the better or loss, but it does provide the possibility of both. If you don’t take risks, there will most likely be no chance to improve anything at all. That's why take risks - for the sake of this chance.

Now I will describe this more fully. There are 6 main points.

Moment 1. Risk is change. As a rule, a person takes risks when he needs, when he wants in general or in any one direction (work, earnings, personal life, health, place of residence, hobbies, etc.).

You can often hear complaints from many people about life or about its individual components. Someone, someone has bad relationships in the family, etc. What to do in this case? Either suffer like this for the rest of your life, or change something. And such changes are always a risk, which, as I already said, gives us a chance for something better. So why not take this chance?

Not being afraid to take risks, overcoming your fear is the only way to change your life for the better. As they say, there is always a choice, you just need to find the courage to make it, taking a risk.

Moment 2. Risk is your positive image. People who take risks, firstly, immediately become more popular and noticeable in society, and secondly, they form a positive image of themselves as a purposeful person, ready to take risks, not afraid of difficulties.

Since risk is a non-standard behavior for a society that is much more accustomed to “walking in line,” a risk-taking person immediately stands out from the crowd and attracts attention. They watch him with interest, and if he achieves certain successes, they begin to honor and respect him.

Moment 3. Risk is a positive emotion. Why take the risk? At least to get new emotions. When a person does not take risks, his life is boring and monotonous. With the advent of risk, new feelings, emotions, sensations appear: excitement, trepidation, anticipation. And even more so, if the risk turns out to be justified - pleasure from the result obtained, self-satisfaction, increased self-esteem. Just a constant charge of vivacity and energy.

Moment 4. Risk is new horizons. When a person takes risks, he, in fact, raises his own bar to a new, higher level, sets himself new standards, new goals to strive for. That is, it develops, improves, and moves forward. Without risk, a person does not even stand still, but gradually degrades, since life around him flies forward, and he remains at the same level, does not even keep up with it.

Moment 5. Risk is the realization of your hidden capabilities. Why take the risk? To find out what you are capable of, how your already known or still hidden talents and qualities can develop.

In essence, risk is a kind of self-expression: an expression of one’s own ideas, preferences, views. Risk is a kind of mirror in which you can see yourself. Taking risks allows you to discover new abilities and talents that you may not have even suspected. I think it's worth a try too.

Moment 6. Risk is a feeling of freedom.

For many, this point is key. Look, for example, at bikers rushing at great speed or climbers conquering steep cliffs. These people take a lot of risks, but it is in this state that they feel absolutely free.

A person determines for himself the so-called. limits of what is permitted, and often makes them too narrow. When he takes risks, these boundaries expand, and the person feels freer within them. The more he takes risks, the more he expands his boundaries, the more freedom he will feel.

Now you understand why take risks. However, this does not mean that right now you should collect all your money and go play in a casino (and that’s also a risk!). Why? Because the risk should not be crazy and groundless, but well thought out, planned and as safe as possible.

Take risks! But take wise risks! This is the essence: maximum chances of success with minimal risks - this will be a competent and thoughtful risk.

I wish you success and that your risks always turn out to be justified. See you at!

Guinness World Records judge Eva Norroy told Esquire why people risk their lives for dubious achievements and what rules to follow to become a champion at cooking hot dogs and sawing out soap palaces. Recently I recorded the record of one British person - he wanted to become the champion in the number of squats on a fart pillow in 30 seconds. I’m standing with a stopwatch and carefully watching everything that’s happening: an adult man is running from one chair to another, trying very hard, his face is very serious, his concentration is incredible, and in the background is this sound. I look first at him, then at the stopwatch and think: “Is this all real?” I have been working as a Guinness judge for two years now. In 2012 I was on the organizing committee Olympic Games in London, when the call rang: “Hello, this is Guinness World Records, we would like to invite you for an interview.” I couldn’t believe my ears - like everyone else, I loved leafing through this book since childhood, but I could never imagine that they could have an office with a telephone. I rather imagined that this was some group of mysterious people sitting on a cloud and watching with interest what was happening on Earth. During the interview, I was asked how I would organize a championship in standing on one leg. And how many people would you allow, and would you limit the maximum time of standing, and would you disqualify those who fall or give another chance - these were the questions.
The office, of course, was not on the cloud, but it still turned out to be amazing. Opposite my desk in London, for example, hangs a portrait of the world's largest donkey - life size. And on the very first day of work, my colleagues put a bowl of flour in front of me and said: “Pretend that you are building figures out of flour.” I don’t understand anything at all - I’m sitting and fumbling around in this torment with wild eyes. They filmed it and then posted the video online - to maintain the image that everyone at Guinness is a little crazy. There are three departments involved in records at Guinness: the department for writing rules for setting records, the department for fixing records, where I work, and the editorial department, which selects the most significant achievements for the annual book. There are about 20 judges scattered around the world, the Russian records go to me - because I am the only one who knows Russian. I learned it completely by accident: at school I had to choose an additional subject, I wanted Italian, but at that time there was no teacher, so I had to take Russian.
Three types of clients set records. The first type is individuals who want to prove something to themselves, like the British guy with the pillow. The second is corporations that organize team building sessions for their employees. Recently I was called to Germany, where employees of an insurance agency from Singapore flew in for a day to build the world's largest water raft. The third type is a small business that wants the world to know about it. Two years ago, I watched an employee of a Spanish grocery store cutting jamon within 24 hours - and last year the store already opened three branches. You can set records for free and for money. In the first case, you need to send us a video of the achievement and an eyewitness account, and within 12 weeks, without leaving the office, I will give a verdict - whether you set a record or not. There is another option for those who do not like to wait, and for those for whom it is important that an official Guinness representative be present in person. Pay 4,500 euros, and I can come to you even the next day. Each judge travels to the field 10-15 times a year, and the number of online record applications is in the thousands.
No one has ever offered me a bribe, not even applicants from Russia. Sometimes, however, I myself want to judge a little. I remember in the UK a hot dog seller wanted to set a record for the number of hot dogs cooked in a minute. To go down in history, he needed to make ten pieces. And he really cooked all ten, but I had to disqualify one hot dog - it was very unkempt. The seller began to argue, but I said: “Agree, you would never sell such a hot dog to your guest.” He agreed, although he was very upset. And, to tell the truth, I was upset too - he was very nice and was so counting on winning. We make each verdict based on clear guidelines that are written by the rules department. From the latter, for example, they created a guideline for the application “I want to make the largest origami swan.” Here's what happened: “Rule one - the swan must be made from one sheet of paper. Rule two - the swan must be folded in front of a witness. Rule three: a swan must resemble a swan.”
Just recently we had an application from Russian women living somewhere on the border with Kazakhstan - they wanted to set a record for the smallest palace cut out of a bar of soap. But we had to refuse them - we do not have “Smallest records”. Every new record means that someone will want to break it. And if they start sending us very tiny palaces, we won’t be able to determine the winner. In general, a lot of applications related to art come from Russia. Last year I recorded a record for a man from Leningrad region- he drew the largest multi-colored heart in the snow. Before this, there was the largest image of a water drop made up of people in blue T-shirts - from Vladivostok. Even earlier - the largest mosaic from wine corks, 154 square meters: two Russians living in Paris made an image of two hundred and eighty thousand traffic jams. By the way, we chose this mosaic as the main achievement of 2014.
Among other national patterns, I noticed that Germany receives the most applications for records related to cars. In America they love setting group records - for example, they recently sent the largest gathering of people dressed in dog costumes. From Russia, almost all applications come online, but soon I will have my first business trip to Moscow - there, in a hairdressing salon, they will set a record for the number of curls curled in 60 minutes. But I was in Ukraine last August. Usually we are not allowed into hot spots, but it was in Chernigov, so they allowed us. They set a record there: “The largest territory that can be covered with fertilizers in 24 hours” - one French agricultural company wanted to set a record, but they don’t have such areas in their homeland, so they went to Ukraine. As for individuals who set records, the reasons are very different and often very valid. I remember one woman from Mexico, the record holder for the area of ​​tattoos and the number of piercings on her body. Many people laughed at her, but in a conversation with me she admitted that she got all these tattoos to feel strong. She was constantly bullied as a child, and by changing her appearance, she wanted to distance herself from her past.
There was also a circus performer from Austria, an ax juggler. He wanted to break the record for the most number of ball rolls from one shoulder to the other. It would seem such a trifle, but having broken the record, he was terribly happy. I only found out later: he had a serious injury, he didn’t get out of bed for six months and decided that if he could set such a record, he would return to work. And I could. But the strongest impression on me was made by an Englishman who wanted to break the bungee jumping record. At that time, the record was 50 meters, and he decided to take 100 at once. He bungee jumped for the first time in his life, and then he was 73 years old. His wife stayed at home, she was so scared, but 20 of his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren were with us. I admit, I was very nervous before the jump, although remaining completely calm is our official duty. But grandfather didn’t even blink an eye: he just took it and jumped. We almost died of fear while we waited for him to swim out. And he got out of the water and said: “My head is a little dizzy, but otherwise I’ve never felt better.”
We don't have a lot of crazy people, but we do have a lot of jokers. Most often, people offer to record their world's largest collection of air guitars. It’s amazing how many people can come up with the same joke, and such a stupid one. Among my friends there are also plenty of comedians. As soon as we sit down in the cafe, it begins: “Eva, look how I build the tallest domino tower in the world! Eva, look at my palace of sushi chopsticks!” I usually answer: “Guys, do you see me wearing a work uniform? No? So fuck off."

IN explanatory dictionary Ozhegov gives two definitions to the concept of risk. The first is possible danger. The second is acting at random in the hope of a happy outcome. Two definitions are two sides of the same coin.

Risk accompanies our entire lives. At the very moment of birth there is already a risk - birth trauma, asphyxia and much more. At the same time, there is always hope for luck, for a favorable outcome, for future happiness. Birth is a launch life program, in which risk plays a significant role, sometimes determining its two extreme assessments: life is dangerous - life is beautiful.

By reducing forced risk - the possibility of illness, accidents, stress, we improve the quality of life. This is the law of all living organisms that ensures survival. But it is not enough for a person to simply survive. He sets many other goals for himself. And he takes risks, hoping for luck. The degree of conscious risk varies. Sometimes - very high.

Many professions are initially associated with great risk - military personnel, pilots, sailors, firefighters, astronauts, miners, rescuers, stuntmen take it... Distinctive feature such a risk - a clear motivation for actions. An acquaintance of mine, a military doctor who is now working in Chechnya, constantly risks his life saving people, and in addition, violating all kinds of instructions, rules and laws, which can also cost lives. His risk is based on high moral principles and a sense of duty. This is a risk both conscious and forced. It requires a lot of mental investment.

Sometimes people risk their lives out of a desire to experience thrills - race car drivers, climbers, participants in expeditions carried out in extreme conditions. In addition, risk-seekers can enjoy windsurfing, roller skating, skateboarding, hang gliding, freestyle… Dangerous species There are so many sports and just entertainments that it’s impossible to list them all. Some people need risk like doping - it injects adrenaline into the blood. In this case, we can talk about the biological nature of risk, which is associated with the basic human instincts, and above all with the survival instinct. Take risks to prove your ability to survive.

For some, risk is the spice of life; for others, it is their environment. “Risk is like radiation. At some point, its dose becomes critical. But in what units is the level of risk measured? A device for this has not yet been invented.” This is what journalist Artem Borovik wrote about his work. Nowadays, journalists are like stalkers. They have to live in an area of ​​dangerous radiation.

People who have a high need for risk are often called adventurers. But these are not only adventure lovers - they are pioneers in all areas of activity. Without them, new lands would not have been discovered, human capabilities would have been explored, aircraft or medicines would not have been tested. Scientists who inoculated themselves with a dangerous disease in order to find an antidote to it are among them. If there were no adventurers, humanity would be marking time.

Everyone who tries to discover something new—scientists, inventors, and artists—risks, even if not their lives, but their reputation and well-being. No creative activity is possible without an original view of life, which is still inaccessible to contemporaries. And it is precisely this kind of risk, which makes it possible to create something significant, that determines progress, a breakthrough to something new, to discoveries that are important for all of humanity. The price the Gvorians pay for this becomes especially clear when you read the biographies of poets or their poems. For example, these:

Along the cliff, over the abyss at the very edge

I whip my horses with a whip, I drive them...

Somehow I don’t have enough air - I drink the wind, I swallow the fog, -

I feel with disastrous delight: I’m lost, I’m lost.

One way or another, we all take risks when we decide to make serious changes in life - we change jobs, professions, or move to foreign lands. An action is a risk, and success in this case depends on the conviction that it is necessary, on courage. “My stomach hurts,” says making a decision and courage in its implementation. If one of these components is missing, the matter will most likely end in failure and disappointment.

Whatever type of risk we consider, its result can be either victory or defeat. The third way is possible only if you don’t want to change anything in life. When you decide to take an action, be sure to prepare yourself for victory. But it is equally important to develop the ability to accept defeat.

A person initially has so many behavioral options that he can always rationally coordinate his actions with the laws of nature, reducing Negative consequences risk to a minimum.

Lyudmila Kiseleva

A person's life, regardless of age, is always fraught with risk.

Constantly changing circumstances, new sensations, unfamiliar people around, the unknown are fertile ground for doing or not doing something; they instill in a person a fear of the new and a desire to get more. And here there is often a choice: take a risk and get what you want, or not take a risk and stay with what you have. The nature of risk is based on the fight against fears and the ability to take the first step.

Risk forces us to think about our behavior, evaluate the situations in which we find ourselves, analyze our own fears and separate “I can” from “I can’t.”

According to statistics, more than 70% of people are afraid of changes in life, preferring stability to change. This can explain the fact that having gotten used to the surrounding reality, they begin to be content with little: “There is - and it’s good, if not - of course, where should I go!” And if they are suddenly torn out of the special world they have created over the years, many do not know what to do next. It seems to them that the period of collapse of their hopes has begun. Risk psychology is a whole branch of knowledge that allows a person to understand the nature of this condition, find ways to solve problems, and develop an algorithm with which to avert the problem.

The nature of risk and its evolution

It is difficult to say when this condition appeared, but what is certain is that it was a very long time ago. In the animal world, it is characteristic of all individuals, starting with insects, fish, reptiles and ending with predators. The appearance of a dragonfly larva or a fry from fish eggs is a risk in itself. Animals run the risk of being eaten; they may end up in a habitat that is not typical for them. This also applies to humans, where risk is directly related to the emergence of a feeling of insecurity.

The key point that stops us and does not allow us to take risks is fear. Its nature lies deep in our psycho-emotional state, emotions that we have ever experienced. It turns out that risk is a product of fear and the unknown. Those who decide to overcome fear and the unknown experience new sensations. When people find themselves in a world familiar to them, then the feeling of fear disappears abruptly.

Those who take risks and often get a new emotional outburst are those who want to change something in their life, the risk is like a catalyst for moving forward, a turning point, the outcome of which depends on whether you decide or not, whether you take the risk of changing what is happening, if any the chance of losing something you have.

What is the significance of risk in a person’s life?

Remember the famous saying: “He who doesn’t take risks, doesn’t drink champagne”? There is some truth in it. In fact, risk plays a big role in a person’s life. Separately, it should be said about extreme sports enthusiasts who are constantly looking for new impressions and sensations directly related to risk. Rafting down a mountain river, descending a steep slope of a glacier or mountain, hang-gliding over a gorge or volcano - these are just a few examples of risky situations that people create for themselves. Such “daredevils” are constantly dependent on the adrenaline obtained through risky situations.

This dose of adrenaline, which sharpens the senses, makes the blood boil, and the brain works more efficiently, overshadows ordinary everyday situations. And these short-term reactions require constant replenishment. That is why, pushing themselves to risky actions, people consciously understand that they are on the border of life and death, especially if they engage in risky sports, for example, mountaineering. For such people, risk is like a drug. Often they have only one goal - to gain recognition and assert themselves.

For many, risk is a lifestyle, a kind of recharging, a way to obtain additional energy.

Having looked fear in the eye once, such a person simply cannot refuse it next time. Risk gives, first of all, experience and pleasure from managing life. You gain complete self-confidence and vast experience. Psychologists recommend that before taking risks, make sure that it will bring more benefit than harm. Be sure to weigh each side of a decision before taking a risk.

Everyone has a tendency to take risks: some have less - in the sudden desire to act in an unusual way, others have more - try to climb a mountain without insurance. The only question is how it will be used in practice. Will conclusions from actions be drawn correctly, will this bring benefit to the person?

Risk is often seen as an opportunity to get something desired, to achieve a goal. Sometimes such situations can completely change a person’s life.

By taking risks, we take responsibility for our lives or the lives of other people. An example is emergency situation on an airplane, when only one person risks the lives of passengers and is responsible for them - the pilot. He has to single-handedly make decisions for several dozen people. This kind of risk can be called the most responsible and conscious. Here you have to look, first of all, not at yourself or your emotional state, but at your sanity, learning to assess the situation based on the circumstances.

The risk must be justified, and this applies not only to the above situation. Before taking risks, be sure to analyze the goals for which you are doing this, the values ​​that may be imposed by society or loved ones.

Unjustified risk taking

Don't confuse risky actions with stupid ones, which have nothing to do with responsibility and improving your life. Most often, such examples are found among teenagers who are accustomed to acting impulsively and thoughtlessly. Teenagers strive for freedom, but are not yet emotionally ready to critically evaluate the circumstances in which they find themselves. Risk for them is a common thing, a game.

If we take risks, we strengthen our ego. The experience gained allows you to critically evaluate any other situations, it strengthens faith in a positive outcome, and allows you to find additional strength in yourself to continue the journey.

The ability to take risks not spontaneously, but deliberately, is one of the important qualities which is important to cultivate in yourself. To do this, first of all, you don’t need to go to extremes: this way you risk being either shackled by fear (fear of taking risks), or turning into a “daredevil”, completely ceasing to control what is happening (with an overwhelming tendency to take risks for the sake of adrenaline).

Most people choose to take risks only in the most serious, life-saving situations, considering the appropriateness, logic and nature of the risk. At the same time, the propensity to take risks in adolescence and young adulthood is much higher. It is unknown whether the Decembrists could have gone through the difficult path of exile, or survived it, if they had been much older. In adulthood, any circumstances are viewed differently and the tendency to take risks after 45-50 years is significantly reduced, giving way to stable and risk-free decisions. So if you still want to change something dramatically, take the risk now.

They say that risk is a noble thing. For the sake of risk, a person is ready to sacrifice everything, including his life. From the point of view of the instinct of self-preservation and common sense, such behavior is inexplicable.

Beginnings

Ancient people, in search of food and shelter, always exposed themselves to mortal danger. As a result, the average life expectancy was less than thirty years. Even the Romans, at the dawn of their empire, rarely lived to be forty. Despite this, they were motivated to take risks, otherwise they would face hunger and cold. The stronger and brighter were the positive emotions when achieving the goal. Thus, in ancient times, taking risks was taken for granted. Of course, all this was imprinted on the human genome over millions of years of prehistoric eras.

3200% profit

When trade-monetary relations were formed, the risk began to be paid for in specie. For example, the book Nathaniel's Nutmeg tells the story of a West Indian company that supplied nutmeg to England from the Indonesian islands. Giles Milton described in detail the mortal dangers to which Dutch sailors were exposed. He cited heartbreaking stories of real people, in particular sailors, who fell into the hands of local cannibals. Or how entire ship crews agonized over terrible diseases. At the same time, Giles Milton noted that anyone who goes to the island of Java can find himself in the place of the unfortunate people from his book. That is why the cost of risk was expressed in a markup of 3200%. At first, such a margin shocked buyers, but after reading Milton’s book in full, the indignation of buyers quickly faded away, and the number of applicants in the Dutch company increased sharply. Like, if you really take mortal risks, then only for a lot of money.

Taking risks out of ignorance

At the beginning of the twentieth century, risk, from a certain abstraction that combines the adventurism of adventurers and the reward in the form of success, acquired scientific, or rather philosophical, contours. So in 1921, the American financier Frank Knight summarized the relationship between the ambiguity of decision making and the result obtained. “Risk is the degree of unpredictability of movement towards a clear goal,” argued Frank Knight, “for example, fixed-interest bonds can bring significantly less profit than stocks, although both papers are aimed at profitability. At the same time, these financial instruments are focused on money in any case. The difference is that low-risk bonds generate low margins, while stocks, on the contrary, can make the owner rich, or can bring him bankruptcy. So, newcomers to the stock market almost always buy shares and most often burn out.”
Ultimately, Frank Knight began to evaluate risk in terms of probability. Despite the controversial nature of his statements, the financier cited numerous examples from personal practice. For example, there are four balls in a bag, one white and three black. If a person knows about this, then he says in advance that he will take out the white ball with a 25% probability. If he is in the dark, he thinks that he can equally get both a white and a black ball. In other words, a less informed person takes more risks.

Russian roulette

IN Tsarist Russia It was fashionable among young officers to take risks. When in 1870, military personnel of the noble class began to be armed with Smith and Wesson revolvers, the noble offspring immediately came up with “Russian roulette.”
“It was shameful to be branded a coward,” recalled Oryol landowner Stanislav Rimsky, “that is why we proved to each other that we were not afraid of anyone, not even death. To do this, they took turns spinning a drum, the chambers of which contained only one cartridge, and brought it to their temple. Then they pulled the trigger. In our circles it was a general madness. Young women adored such daredevils.” In exactly the same way, on the third attempt, Vladimir Mayakovsky passed away, although the gun was aimed not at his head, but at his chest. Thus, many people take risks to gain attention.

Physiology

Scientists studying the mechanism of emotion formation believe that under stressful conditions the mechanism of overcompensation is triggered. Simply put, the worse your soul is, the more you want something so special. This passionate desire is signaled by physiological systems, including hormonal ones.
According to the views of Dr. Skinner, a person has biological mechanism, distinguishing between “bad” and “good”. If an individual experiences negative emotions, he extrapolates his future in bright colors, so much so that the instinct of self-preservation is dulled. “Emotional arousal plays an important role in overcoming conservatism and stereotypical reactions,” wrote Russian psychophysiologist academician Pavel Simonov. In other words, risk is a response to dissatisfaction with the current situation. If this is so, then we are at risk when we are dissatisfied with our lives.