Fulfillment attained best through risk or caution?

Affable

Is the best way to be fulfilled through risk or caution, if one has to choose between those relative extremes?

I'm not asking for a debate on what fulfillment is, you can use your subjective idea of it.

nyarlothothep

hmmm, this is something I've pondered on myself. I'd go with risk, better to suffer the consequences through action rather than inaction, in the respect that I can say I tried something, it didn't work out but its better than saying I haven't achieved what I've wanted to do in my life because of the inhibition of excessive caution, bestowed upon me by negative experiences in my environment. However I think calculated risk is the best way, I think risk taking without proper research is a very bad idea.

I read once about this guy who lived his life depending on the turn of a dice, he ended up meeting his future wife and became a millionaire. Am skeptical though but it was interesting nonetheless.

Affable

nyarlothothep wrote: »

hmmm, this is something I've pondered on myself. I'd go with risk, better to suffer the consequences through action rather than inaction, in the respect that I can say I tried something, it didn't work out but its better than saying I haven't achieved what I've wanted to do in my life because of the inhibition of excessive caution, bestowed upon me by negative experiences in my environment. However I think calculated risk is the best way, I think risk taking without proper research is a very bad idea.
.

What kind of negative experiences?

nyarlothothep

Anything, I guess I was thinking about mundane things, like hesitating to take a new job because of a bad experience in the last one, deciding not to talk to a girl because of fear of rejection etc. As sixth form philosophical as it is, I watched a video for this song Lateralus which supposedly incorporates the fibonacci sequence and at the end it says spiral outwards in terms of living, ie try new things where you can. Very cheesy and not credible but there you go. I think it there is a certain consistency in adopting natural patterns of elegance/beauty to ones own ends, whether for existential or practical purposes, like building a plane.

Suzannem

I definitley live my life more on the side of caution, I would way prefer to be the opposite.
Somtimes when I do take risks, it makes me happier knowing that i went for it.
honestly I feel taking risks makes life more exciting. as the 2nd poster said ..calcuated risks are better. as in i wouldnt advise to jump into things, give it a bit of thought.

Hunchback

i think, if a balanced person veers in one direction exclusively, then they will be forced eventually to address the flip side of their potential.

i too have lived very safely for about seven years, through a combination of fear and laziness/convenience.
i am very happy, but the question remains, what if i had been more adventurous?

not only that, but aren't the best memories always of the "maddest " things we've done?

af_thefragile

"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." - Wayne Gretzky.

You'ld rather crash and learn than say you never even tried!
Though and its a rather big though, at the same time you wouldn't wanna waste your life away chasing fire!

Joe1919

Some Kierkegaard quotes I came across lately.

A person can distress the spirit by venturing too much. Yet
there is comfort in knowing that discipline will surely come and
will help him if he honestly humbles himself under it. But a
person can also distress the spirit by venturing too little. Alas,
but this comes home to him only after a long time, perhaps after
many years when he is living in the security he sought by
avoiding danger. Now he must experience the truth that he was
untrue to himself.

During the first period of a person's life the greatest danger is
to not take the risk. When once the risk has been taken then the
greatest danger is to risk too much. By not risking you turn
aside and serve trivialities. By risking too much, you turn aside
to the fantastic, and perhaps to presumption.

nyarlothothep

I think Kierkegaard hit the proverbial nail on the head.

thebaldsoprano

Risk, definitely! Yeah you make mistakes and get hurt but just pick yourself up, learn your lesson and move on.

"It isn't about how hard you can hit but about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward" -- Rocky Balboa