Do or Die…. Maybe?
Risk is something we manage every day on an almost unconscious level; Do you pull out from the junction now, or wait until that red car passes by? Sip upon the blessed caffeine bean straight away or blow on it to cool it down just a tad? Stand and block an attack or step forward and sideways to go on the offensive?
All made fairly quickly and without being verbalised as a series of competing options and therein lies the rub, the verbalisation. When the risks are said out loud it’s suddenly a decision that cannot be made unconsciously as it sits in front of you with a quizzical “so?” on its face.
“If you don’t do x, y could happen. However there’s a risk with doing x that may result in y”
It all looks a bit like a mathematical formula at this point, especially when percentages are thrown at you to “help”. Risk now moves from a personal set of choices to an impersonal set of numbers with some unpalatable consequences attached to them… or not… maybe.
So now I am left to face the calculation of “could” vs “may” and all that entails.
There’s a lot to be said for ignoring the whole issue and just throwing yourself into the elsewhere, delaying the inevitable and concentrating on those things that you can influence.. but the quizzical face is still there.
So? Block vs Strike? Could vs May? Do vs Die?
