Life is not safe.
Yes, it’s much safer today than it has ever been. We have clean water, easy access to food, shelter to keep us from being exposed to the elements, we don’t have to fight off packs of wolves or lions.
Life is safe, but why does it feel so dangerous sometimes? We can feel fear from being ostracized, from failing, from not having “enough”…
But I’m here to argue that we should not strive for maximum safety. Maximum safety would require us to never leave our house, because we might get into a car accident, we’ll be exposed to other people’s germs, what if there is a mass shooting where you’re going? There is a point of diminishing returns. We want safety, of course, but we need to live and have social interactions with others. Instead of wanting maximum safety, I’d rather optimize my courage or bravery. Because often times to be the safest, you relinquish so much control – so much of your power – to someone else. But if you are courageous and brave, that power is within you to face and overcome that which you fear.
