By Bev Flaxington via Iris.xyz
Jump off a cliff, skydive without the parachute, place your life savings on single bet in Vegas: that’s how most people feel about risk. It’s scary and full of uncertainty.
Part of the reason we think this way is that our brains are hardwired to survive — to keep us alive by making the right decisions. Sensing risk sets off our fight or flight instinct, causing stress and anxiety.
But is playing it safe the right thing to do?
Let’s reexamine risk and embrace it!
Albert Einstein’s neighbors on Saranac Lake didn’t remember him for the Theory of Relativity, but for all the times they needed to save him from his seemingly lousy sailing skills.
Einstein loved sailing and taking risks. He often sailed into storms when scientists and friends came to visit, although he didn’t know how to swim, and in 1944, his boat hit a rock and capsized causing him to become trapped under his sail. Yet he never panicked, these were his happiest times, where he took notes and wrote in his diary. His risk-taking helped him stay curious and innovative, and he may have even written the Theory of Relativity on a sailboat!
Click here to read the full story on Iris.xyz.