Risk Aversion
Its late, let me be introspective.
I hate taking risk. I've always hated taking risk. That's probably why I wasn't big into sports when I was a kid, and also why I dated so little. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. My life is pretty much defined by sticking to the sure thing, and I'm not complaining. On the contrary, I find it a badge of honor. But sometimes life makes risk impossible to avoid, and sometimes events occur to remind you that all things are connected, and they aren't equal.
I don't take risk in the car.
I don't take risks in relationships.
I don't take risks with my career.
I don't play the lotery.
I realized today that though I love fencing, I hate competing. Ironic huh?
You have to look at it from my perspective. For the sake of argument lets assume that all things are equal for a moment. If a tournament has an event with ten people in it, and I am one of those people, I would have a one in ten chance of winning the tournament. Those are pretty lously odds. Ten percent chance of winning, 90% chance of losing, and that's if all things are equal! However, life doesn't work that way, things aren't equal. In an event with ten people, the talented ones, in good health, between the ages of 14 and 25 have the best chance of success. If you are some combinition of older, slower, and or less talented, your chances of winning go into the toilet. If you are more than one of those, your chances of failure overflow the toilot all over the floor in a great reeking pool of "loser". It is from this wet and stinking place that I write this, so you know I know what I am talking about.
I only bring it up because only a few hours after it occures to me that I hate competing, I crack open a fortune cookie and it reads, "The only people who never fail are those who never try." 'Dem's good odds. That's excellent advice, and the cookie was fresh and crispy too. I win two times!
The other option is to compete without trying to win. That's what? Throwing the match? Wasting everyone's time? Wasting my own time? A new definition of insanity? Personally, I think the risk is too great.
Comments
You can compete to win. You can compete to test yourself. You can compete to learn. You can compete to have fun. Winning IS the most fun, but the next tournament with young kids in it, watch for a moment. You will find a couple that are doing really poorly and they are still having a GREAT time and lots of fun.
Maybe you should not do another 48 Hour film. That is competition you know. Munchkin….again…that is out.
I have never seen you write anything I hated to read until this day. If you don’t want to compete in fencing, that is fine. You are a big boy. You know what is best for you.
On the other hand, if this is Dark Woodie’s doing you are in a competition and you don’t even know it.
Pray he never meets Darth Jim. That is one mean bastard.
Posted by: Jim | November 3, 2006 10:25 AM