If life has risks, how do you decide which ones are worth taking?

[TenderFantasy]

Updates

+1 y

Damn, lots of great answers here!! It was pretty difficult to choose as you can only pick two! Thanks to everyone who participated!!

[SnowedIn]

What a great question. I try to ascertain what the actual risk is and how much risk there is. There's risk in everything and so I try to figure out what the reality is as best I can. I also try to consider whether I really want or need that thing enough to risk the risk. And then consider what are the consequences. Death makes me think differently than injury or financial loss. Here's one example: I was on a run in the fall. It was late October and it was bitter cold, like almost freezing. It had been raining really hard for two days. Part of my goes past a dam. The dam is designed where small amounts of lake water always trickle over the top so the stream/creek it's built on continues downstream. That day it was a swift moving river. The path across the stream is normally slightly above water but that day was under the swiftly moving water. There was risk there for me to cross. It was doable. I wouldn't die if I fell because I'm a great swimmer and I keep my wits about me but I was going to get hurt and it would have been bad. BUT I assessed that I had the skill to get across and the payoff was worth way more because the alternative was a five mile run to the other crossing (in either direction). So, I crossed it and didn't fall or get injured.

Anyway, assess and measure risk versus reward.

[SnowedIn]

Thank you for MHO!

[Guy13]

These life questions are for each individual. In lieu of this please consider a Risk Management Banking search and the following factors:
Risk is a free choice-action dynamic where outcome can be monetarily, emotionally, and/or physically Win or Loss.
Implied from Risk is both 1. Certainty: full knowledge including Past, Present, Futures monetary yield/outcome.
2. Uncertainty: is Futures too but is unknown and uncontrollable.
Perhaps this thinking can help in your personal Venture.

[purplepoppy]

Ask yourself can you afford to lose and what are the odds you will. consider what you could lose, is it money, time, reputation, a limb etc.
Look at your own ability, that high risk business venture might be lucrative but if it's could financially ruin you is it worth the risk.
Driving to work is a risk, you could die but the chance is low.

[Haha456]

I've been called a prudent risk taker. Its something that happens naturally and doesn't need to be taught. If you have to ask this question, it means you don't have this ability.

[NathanDavis]

calculated risks... that's something you usually learn gradually by life experiences, lessons learned

informed choices are also an option that everyone should consider beforehand

and then you have upbringing, the proper guidance of others around you

to me, it is about balance... I can be a risk taker, but not a gambler

[TenderFantasy]

Very interesting, thank you.

[SlavicThor]

I like this question...

I think it all comes down to boldness and not fearing the outcome regardless. Taking risks is an iterative process we learn over time from them. The most successful people in this world are the biggest risk takers and have failed countless times because they're fearless

[Andres77]

i was a safety officer for years so i mitigated lots of risks... so i could do really dangerous stuff safely. so, i kind of changed the rules so i could still do what needed to be done, or what i wanted.

in some relationships its hard to mitigate some risk so... i got stumped.

[Chazmatazz269]

You can’t really know until you get through the experience. If you’re not sure, just go for it! You win some you lose some, but my experience suggests that you don’t regret the losses more than the risks not taken.

[menina]

If I see that my decision will have a positive impact in the near future or on the long run I take the risk. Or if I know that I will regret if I don't try. If I see that I'm more likely to fail, then I don't take any risk.

[magiusX26]

ah. that is one of life's eternal mysteries as well as one of those self same risks you have to take. the whole point of the risks in life (in general) is not knowing the outcome which if you knew which ones to take ir not take would no longer be a risk if you knew that outcome.

[petitedollbabee]

I decide to take the risks that don’t put my life in direct danger.

[LiamJHayden]

Financially, I take the ones that promise a greater reward than the risk.

Physically, I take the ones that interest me. To date those are primarily surfing and sky diving.

[Anonymous]

Risk vs. Reward. It all comes down to that. It's OK to be stupid when you're young. But as you age it's harder to recover from some mistakes. So you have to take more calculated risks. Don't take the risk unless it's warranted by the potential return.

[Kori1236]

The ones that make my heart beat the hardest. The ones that terrify me to my core but also encourage me to go for it.
M

[Luopio27]

When the chase is better than the catch.
All I can say is when it matters to you.

[Genie23]

The ones where your gut tells you it's the right thing to do.

[jshm2]

By not doing things that can lead to bigger issues, rather than solutions.

[DesiUwU]

huggin a polar bear is something i would die for

[tfan1]

Gut feeling - internal instinct that tells you something’s fishy or not.

[TenderFantasy]

I don't think everyone has instincts, that's why some of them became victimized! And usually maybe that 'instinct' is developed from age and wisdom, so maybe young people have less of it because they're more naive about how things in life are? ! I know that's how I got victimized a few times in the past.

[TenderFantasy]

I wish I could probably harness/develop it however. Maybe I would have made less boo boos lol.

[TenderFantasy]

Less big ones.

[Anonymous]

Easy. If it makes me money, makes me happy or gets me a good girlfriend, then i'll take it.

Staying in one place doing nothing is as boring as a poor village in Russia.

[alcorriher]

by deciding which ones aren't gonna lead me doen dark places & kill me mentally & physically

[SweetTwistedSatanist]

One simple question! Doing or not doing it. What will I regret the most?

[Anonymous]

Play the odds. If the benefit is worth the risk or the risk is low, maybe with taking.

[Agape93]

What do i stand to gain or lose

[HighValue]

Create a pros and cons list.

[collie22]

I always apply my God given commonsense

[TenderFantasy]

Yeah but sometimes it's not that simple.

Example: Your husband of five years whom you love and are commited to very much, but is an idiot, wants to gamble your house away. If you agree to gamble it, because he thinks he's going to "WIN BIG" the 10 Million Dollar prize money, you MAY lose the house. If you don't agree, he MAY divorce you and take half custody of your two kids. What would you do in this case? Agree to his stupidity or not agree and he divorces you and takes half alimony and custody of kids? Remember you love this dude and you've been with him five going on six years and have spent a lot of time and memories together..

[TenderFantasy]

Additionally, not everyone has common sense. Why do you think some people STILL get in trouble with their life? I WISH people were perfect like that. I don't know, I just feel like this answer was also a bit condescending! I hope that wasn't what you were trying to be!

I like the advice but it's easier said than done like I said, and sometimes, what "makes sense" to you, may not make sense to someone else. It could be relative!

I'd say more on calculating the odds. Maybe that would work better. 🙂

[es20490446e]

You simply try it small first.

[_Just_A_girl_]

ones that dont put ya in jail

[Anonymous]

death is the risk