Calculated Risk

Risk. It's a concept we're all familiar with. For some of us, it appears to be an everyday encounter, while others perceive themselves as approaching it only once in a long span of time. Either way, we all underestimate it. Because what it comes down to is that every moment of our lives is a risk. In every single moment we may die, we may fall terminally ill, we may be injured irreversibly or traumatized to no apparent end. And every decision we make is also a risk. It is a calculated risk.

To make a choice, pick a side, act upon something, we must take a risk. The way we do it varies. Sometimes we think we play blindly in our minds and pick the first answer that comes up. Other times, we throw together a bunch of factors, see where the light falls, and hope that we don't fail. And then, there are the times that we actually think of our choices as consequences. These are the times when we take hours or days to carefully weigh all of the factors and hesitantly pick a course of action. This is what we usually call a calculated risk. At those moments, we become intensely aware of the consequences of our decisions and try to avoid making a mistake.

In reality though, every single decision we make is a calculated risk. Even randomly tossing ideas around inside our heads is a matter of risk. When we seemingly stab into the dark and take the first thought that comes to mind, we have already analyzed it all, and have decided that the answer that occurred to us is satisfactory. Every day, every hour, every minute, every second we take risks. And believe it or not, they are all calculated. Not a single word comes out of our mouths, not a single limb moves anywhere without us having already considered the possible actions and respective consequences of that decision.

So what's the point of this? What does it matter whether we do actually calculate the outcomes of our lives or not if it doesn't affect the way we do things? It's a matter of awareness. We do not by any means need to concern ourselves with just how our minds work, but it is nonetheless fascinating. And it gives us all a bit of insight into what is behind the decisions we make. When looking at everything as a risk, suddenly some of the expressions we use fall into place and take on a different meaning relating to the context. Every time we make the split-second decision to pick up the phone or not, to start the conversation or otherwise, to walk away from the table or linger for half an hour more...it's all a matter of risk. And perhaps the fact that everything in life truly is a risk may give us more perspective on the trivial matters of dealing with individuals on an everyday basis and put them into context alongside our other decisions.