When I look down a steep ski hill, my risk aversion mechanism kicks in and causes me to throttle back my speed and, unfortunately, my skill level. I wind up not trusting myself and am just glad to be at the bottom of the hill.
That's one kind of risk with a pretty scant reward.
On the other hand, when it comes to new tech or new ideas, I am all over it like white on rice. I throw caution to the wind and jump in feet first. For the most part, I advance myself quickly and reap the rewards of new technology.
Those are two opposing risk scenarios. The first feels threatening and limits my output. The second feels inviting and expands my horizons.
We all see the world around us differently. Looking down that same ski hill you might get a burst of energy and go flying. Faced with new technology, you might run away as fast as you can.
When we launch a new product or introduce a new technology, the reactions to it will vary all across the map. Those we refer to as early adopters will jump on it instantly, while on the other end of the spectrum, others more risk averse will wait and see if it gets widely adopted.
We've trained ourselves over a lifetime to define what works and what doesn't.
I think it's helpful to be aware of where your risks and rewards are focused and to be ok with that. One of the pitfalls of not being aware is our tendency to criticize and poke fun at those of us on the opposite end of the spectrum.
Better to simply be comfortable with our differences.
