
Why Only Risk-Takers Find Real Fulfillment - optimusrex
https://medium.com/@ztrana/why-only-risk-takers-find-real-fulfillment-c536e9209ddb
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nanis
Even if one chooses to believe the fairy tale that Tank Man survived the
bloody assault that day[1], it is foolish to pretend that he was the only risk
taker at Tiananmen Square.

It is even more shallow to think that the fact that "... [him] risking his
life for his beliefs is an iconic symbol of rebellion and courage", has led to
any kind of fulfillment for that man although it might be fulfilling to random
people who pontificate in Medium posts.

Sure, some people find fulfillment when the risks they take play out in their
favor. Other people end up mashed into the asphalt or get shot[2]. The ones
who survived might talk of the fulfillment they found, but to ignore the ones
who die along the way and pretend that's further proof that every risk is
worth taking is dishonest.

In reality, people have different tastes for risk/reward tradeoff and face
different constraints. As a result, they choose to take or not to take various
risks. We spend most of our lives trying to relax constraints. Some also try
to consciously shape their preferences. There is a huge chasm between "I like
it when I take risks and live another day to boast about them" vs the only way
to find fulfillment is to take a life-or-death risk every day.

PS: AP's caption for [2], "Raw: Turkish Soldiers Fire at Protesters" is
misleading. These were not mere protesters: These were citizens who decided to
stand up to a military coup against the elected government of Turkey. What
they did might be noble, but I just cannot bring myself to proclaim that it
brought the dead any "fulfillment".

[1]:
[https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB124407361243083255](https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB124407361243083255)

[2]:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCACxhlyedk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCACxhlyedk)

