Taking Risks

I was out with a few friends the other night. We went to watch the Brazil-Holland game… just in case you have no idea what I’m talking about, it was the quarter-finals for the World Cup.

Anyway, found out that everybody at the table had bet on Brazil to win the game. After all, it was Brazil… it was a sure thing.

It’s a good thing I didn’t place a bet. Holland came from behind to win it 2-1. So all my friends lost quite a bit of money that night… I should have taken a picture of their faces… priceless.

But you see, they made a choice that had very minimal risk. The Brazilian side was the favourite. In other words, they were supposed to make quite a bit of money that night (they made bets which were larger than their usual amounts).

This right here teaches us a very important lesson in life. There is no such thing as ‘a sure thing’… you can’t predict what the future holds. You can only do your best, and leave the rest to fate.

So where does that leave the concept of ‘taking risks’? Should you go through life playing it safe?

Of course not! Haven’t you been paying attention?

In the example given (why do I sound like a textbook?), it was the safest choice to bet on Brazil. The bookmakers have done their math, and put Brazil as the favourites to win. So placing a bet on Brazil wouldn’t be considered taking a risk at all… a sure thing… and look what happened… I’ve seen funerals which were more cheerful.

We go through every day making countless decisions which pretty much have ‘life or death’ implications…

Do I go to the office today or work from home? – statistics show that there are around 7 million traffic accidents a year in the US alone.

Do I eat at the cafeteria or go out for lunch? – let’s just say I’ve gotten my fair share of food poisoning…

We deal with risks every day, so why stop now (it’s not like you can anyway).

I’ve got a few friends who are making important decisions in the very near future… some are making career changes, some are getting married, and some are taking the risk of staying put. I wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors.

We do the calculations and make an educated ‘guess’ as to what will happen. Even if it’s seems too high risk, the rewards, if successful, would be tremendous.

After all, a sure thing like a Brazil win, doesn’t guarantee anything. So just put it all on the line.