Risk and Reward

We are all familiar with “no risk, no reward,” the idea that any great outcome or result will come at the price of risk. While the product of the risk is important, and often very rewarding, I think we often overlook the process of risk. What if the reward isn’t merely in the result, but inherent in the risk itself?

Not long ago, as I have mentioned in other posts, significant risk was required for survival. If you didn’t dare, you died. Chasing wild animal through the harsh wilderness – exposing one’s self to the elements, other wild animals, falls, accidents, and other perils – wasn’t an option, it was a survival requirement to fend off starvation. Simply constructing a barn, chasing down a rogue horse or traveling through a nasty winter storm to trade goods in town could all mean serious danger. However, neglecting these activities would be even more harmful.

It’s because of that our Creator built within us mechanisms to reward us for the risk itself. Chemical cocktails of endorphins, neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine plus hormones like dopamine and anandamide, often accompany moments of pain and peril. This is far beyond the fight or flight response, but rather an optimizing of thought patterns and actions along with intense satisfaction independent of the result or outcome of the actions. Even if the deer or bear got away, there is an exhilaration in the chase. The reward is sometimes in the risk itself.

In a society in which risk is avoided – and this is not just physical threats, but also emotional vulnerability and psychological distress – is it any wonder some of the most popular drugs abused in our culture mimic some of the very chemicals our body naturally releases in response to risk? Cocaine, heroin, speed and yes, even marijuana, are all analogs – chemical substitutes, if you will – for the substances our body creates in the presence of pain and peril.

We were created with an inherent need – not desire, but a necessity – to embrace risks. When we neglect that duty, our brains seek fulfillment elsewhere via artificial, often destructive means. It’s a strange dichotomy, but it seems a healthy life can only be achieved through regular and constant exposure to danger. However, this doesn’t mean you need to be chasing bears through the woods with a spear or battling level 5 rapids in a dugout canoe. It can simply be having that difficult conversation you’ve avoided, bravely speaking up in a meeting, standing up and presenting an idea to a group, working out in a crowd of strangers or maybe even loving that person who is difficult to love.

Your life will give you plenty of chances almost every day to exercise small risks. Embrace the process independently of the product. The reward is in the risk.