Risk. Something to avoid at all costs? Or a vital ingredient for overcoming adversity and survival in a changing world?

For the last 30 years or so, a good half of my adult life, I have watched as the Political Correctness campaign has almost succeeded in removing risk from life in the Western world.

From preventing children playing with balls in playgrounds or climbing trees to protecting the perpetrators of crime from the self-defence actions of the victims.

A misguided social welfare system in many countries that rewards people for not making efforts to look after themselves.

Systems that encourage people to stay on welfare and not take low-paid, probably unsatisfying jobs.

An environment that breeds an entitlement attitude.

A life without risks is a stagnant life. A sparkling stream needs movement and replenishment with a constant source of new, fresh water. So do our lives if we don’t want them to resemble a scum covered, fetid, dark pond.

Most developments and discoveries in the world have happened because someone took a risk. This holds true in science, engineering, mining, agriculture, medicine, the arts and practically every field of human endeavour.

We cannot grow in our personal, professional, business or creative lives unless we take risks to stretch ourselves.

We can’t form new relationships unless we allow ourselves to be vulnerable, to be hurt, disappointed or let down at times.

We can’t enjoy new sports or activities without risking stiff joints, skinned knees or worse.

Why the campaign to eliminate risk?

Certain elements in society spend huge amounts of time, money and effort in attempting to eliminate all forms of risk from modern life

Conformity? Control?

The attempt to remove risks and other efforts of “progressive” social engineering may have been started with the best intentions. But the more socialist elements of society have hijacked it. Aided and abetted by lawyers who find creative ways to win lucrative and often frivolous, negligence or malpractice cases. It’s often easier – and cheaper – for the defendant to strike a deal than winning a case in court.

Elimination of risk can easily be promoted as a worthy cause. Sometimes it is. For example, enforcing the wearing of seatbelts in cars is proven to save lives and reduce injuries. It is a practice that makes sense. Whether it should be a law or encouraged by education is an argument for a different post.

Suffice it to say that making the wearing of seatbelts a law, takes an element of risk for the consequences of personal decisions away from drivers and passengers. Another erosion of personal independence and insidious reduction of risk.

Sometimes, as I wrote in this post, despite the precautions and safeguards, risk does have tragic consequences.

Consequences of living in a risk-free environment.

There are signs that we are waking up and realising that we are doing our children a huge disservice by keeping all risk out of their lives.

This article in the New York Times reports how educators in Britain are re-introducing elements of risk to children’s playgrounds and classroom activities. They have suddenly realised what anyone with a grain of common sense has known for generations:

Risk builds resilience.

Children climb obstacles, use scissors, run around on hard surfaces.

They scrape their knees, cut themselves (generally only once) get the odd bruise. But they survive, learn and emerge stronger for the experience.

We need exposure to risk to survive in a changing world.

I wrote here about risk being the missing ingredient for a rewarding life, and how the sudden absence of risk from one’s life might be a contributory reason why military veterans cannot adjust to a peaceful, quiet life.

In a rapidly changing world, the old model of lifetime employment with one or very few employers a “safe” pension and assured housing at the end is part of history. Add the implications of Artificial Intelligence, Automation, Robotics and more disruptive technology and it is obvious that the risks to a “normal” journey through life are increasing.

Children need to be ready to cope with those and more as yet unknown risks that will affect their lives.

They and all of us need to develop resilience and curious minds by taking risks.

Risk is essential for Growth and Success.

What do you think? Leave a comment

Jump Photo by Sammie Vasquez on Unsplash

Robot Photo by Sorry imKirk on Unsplash

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