You\u2019ve heard the idea before: The higher the risk, the greater the reward.<\/p>\n
You\u2019re familiar with those people in your personal and professional life whom you would call risk-takers, the ones who casually skydive on a Sunday afternoon and post their death-defying pictures on their social media feeds.<\/p>\n
You might also know a few people who avoid taking risks in any aspect of their lives, from their financial investments to trying new foods to getting on an airplane. We call them risk averse. My wife calls them smart, since she\u2019s one of them.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re young,\u201d my father told me after I graduated from high school. \u201cYou have time. You don\u2019t have any family commitments. Take some risks! See the world!\u201d<\/p>\n
When he was my age, he joined the Navy. I was a trumpet player and rock guitarist in high school. I had no dreams to become a soldier or even see the world, but I understood what he was saying.<\/p>\n
One of my favorite presidents, Theodore Roosevelt, wrote eloquently about taking risks. He said that if you fail, at least you fail \u201cwhile daring greatly.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
While I was junior at Southampton College in New York, I landed a writing job on a television show, packed up my car, drove across the United States, and spent five years living in Los Angeles writing for the film and television industries. I had quit school and taken a risk. My dad was proud. I eventually returned to Florida, earned my degrees at 麻豆原创, and became an instructor at 麻豆原创 with industry experience. The risk paid off.<\/p>\n
One of my favorite presidents, Theodore Roosevelt, wrote eloquently about taking risks. He said that if you fail, at least you fail \u201cwhile daring greatly.\u201d If you don\u2019t take a risk, you\u2019ll never know victory or defeat.<\/p>\n
Library bookshelves buckle under the weight of risk-takers who explored the earth, dared to rise up against oppressive governments, and sought the stars (among a billion other goals that at first seemed far too risky). I\u2019ve always attached equal measures of awe and nobility to people willing to sacrifice everything for a dream. They decided that the risk was worth it.<\/p>\n
However, this year nearly all aspects of our lives have become much riskier. Situations that never had any risk attached now set off alarms. Do I send my kids back to face-to-face classes? Do I return to my job and wear my mask? How safe will that be? It\u2019s a strange new world for us all. Who thought going to a wedding or a football game or a supermarket would become a high-risk situation with terrible consequences?<\/p>\n
Our tolerance for risk is informed by the way we were raised, our personalities, and our current lives (for example, a young mother might avoid skydiving, while her grandmother happily jumps out of a perfectly good airplane).<\/p>\n
I consider myself a fairly aggressive risk-taker. I\u2019ve been an avid road cyclist for over 10 years, braving the treacherous roads of Central Florida. While I\u2019ve never been struck by a car, I\u2019ve been grazed, buzzed, spat at, cursed at, and literally run off the road. If it\u2019s so dangerous, why do I keep riding? The adrenaline rush, the fitness, and the joy of being outdoors are worth the danger to life and limb. That\u2019s a decision I\u2019ve made, one with which you may not agree.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s okay. I think skydivers, people who eat shellfish, and those who ride motorcycles without helmets are all insane for taking those risks; however, who am I to judge? I\u2019ve never done those things, so I\u2019ve never experienced the rewards. Risk is a matter of personal choice and perspective. Are we looking at all the pieces that go into a decision so that we can better see the big picture?<\/p>\n
Admittedly, risk-takers like me have become experts at dismissing consequences. Don\u2019t spoil the fun by mentioning that I might die on my bicycle. I am fully aware of the risks I am taking. I don\u2019t need your reminder. But what about my family? Am I being too selfish?<\/p>\n
I\u2019m honestly unsure if I\u2019d be a road cyclist were my daughters younger. Now that they are both in their 20s, my choices don\u2019t strike quite as hard, but every time I go out, the fear does cross my mind.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s quality of life vs. safety, and we\u2019re wrestling with that every day now. I won\u2019t judge you if you decide to eat at a socially distanced restaurant or work out at your local gym, so long as you and those facilities are adhering to the current precautionary guidelines. The problem occurs when your risk infringes on someone else\u2019s rights, and that\u2019s something we all need to carefully consider.<\/p>\n
Make no mistake. These are risky times\u2014all the more reason to be empathetic and kind to each other. As Knights we boldly charge on toward our futures, keenly aware that while greatness requires risk, everyone\u2019s tolerance level is different, and that\u2019s OK.<\/p>\n
Peter Telep<\/em><\/strong> is a senior instructor in 麻豆原创\u2019s Department of English. He can be reached at <\/em>Peter.Telep@ucf.edu<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n
The 麻豆原创 Forum<\/strong> is a weekly series of opinion columns from faculty, staff and students who serve on a panel for a year. A new column is posted each Wednesday on <\/em>麻豆原创 Today<\/em><\/a> and then broadcast on W麻豆原创-FM (89.9) between 7:50 and 8 a.m. Sunday. Opinions expressed are those of the columnists, and are not necessarily shared by the 麻豆原创.<\/em><\/p>\n