The term Safetyism comes from “The Coddling of the American Mind” and speaks to a culture unwilling to make ANY risk tradeoffs whatsoever i.e., not just safety first but only safety i.e., run NO risk. As a practical matter, we end up so obsessed with one dramatic, seemingly present risk that we get tunnel vision and lose sight of other, greater but less dramatic risk. In short, our preoccupation with risk creates risk.
The greatest of all risks is to attempt to avoid all risk; that way leads to stagnation and decay. Indeed, it is easy to run so hard and fast from one risk that we run headlong into another risk.
Closing Quotes:
“If you don’t risk anything, you risk even more.” – Erica Jong, b. 1942, Fear of Flying
“The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing, and becomes nothing.” – Leo Buscaglia, 1924-1998
“Risk, then, is not just part of life. It is life. The place between your comfort zone and your dream is where life takes place. It’s the high-anxiety zone, but it’s also where you discover who you are.” – Nick Vujicic, born 1982 without arms or legs
As always, I share what I most want and need to learn. – Nathan S. Collier