Do too many of us live in a risk-free world? In response to my post about changing habits, regular reader J gave an emphatic “yes!” and I’m with J all the way. This is not about bungy jumping with frayed ropes or driving blindfold. It’s about the unintended effects of too much caution and too much protection. An example. My home country New Zealand has all but banned the personal use of fireworks. Who remembers the nerve-wracking thrill of holding a firework, its fuse spluttering, and waiting to the last second before throwing it (preferably under someone’s feet) just before it exploded? What made the thrill unforgettable was the sure knowledge of real consequences.
There are now real questions about how young people adjust to the adult world of consequence after risk-controlled childhoods. Rubberised playgrounds, being ferried to every school event, no playing in the street, no rough-housing. And the replacement? Too often adult scheduled activities, screen time and following instructions. This has to take a toll on how a child works out how to take risks and push boundaries, and to learn from the experience.
What happens if we devalue risk in our lives? We start to starve some very important human motivators. Passion, curiosity, courage. Without them innovation is impossible, exploration a waste of energy, and change not worth the effort. That’s a huge risk right there for all of us. Never have we needed the fruits of risk more.
That idea was movingly endorsed in New Zealand recently. Six young people and their teacher were tragically drowned in a flash flood while canyoning which is one of those adrenalin sports New Zealand is famous for. The father of one young man said he hoped the deaths would not prevent other kids from having this kind of experience even though the risks in this case proved to be loaded with tragedy. It was a courageous reminder that risk is part of nature and part of our lives. To remove it risks dulling our existence.
“Dance like there’s nobody watching
Love like you’ll never get hurt
Sing like there’s nobody listening
Live like it’s heaven on earth
And speak from the heart to be heard.”
Inspirer William W Purkey wrote those fantastic lines. You see them everywhere attributed to anyone from Mark Twain to Bono. Apparently Purkey decided not to maintain his copyright and put them into the public domain, it’s the same spirit we have followed with Lovemarks
So here’s another wish for my granddaughter Stella’s future: a life of adventure, the freedom to be curious and a passion for the unknown.
