Wednesday, June 30, 2010

DECISIONS, DECISIONS...

In my previous two posts, I touched on the subjects of risk taking and moral judgment. They are intrinsically related. Taking a plausible risk from which you cannot recover is just plain irresponsible. If the risk is property loss you cannot repay, than you are contemplating robbery. If the risk is irreparable bodily harm, than you obviously lack respect for human life and no word comes to my mind right now sufficiently evil to describe your attitude. Plain and simple, there is a moral component to risk taking. And I have observed others taking risks that warrant more than a slap upside the head! What troubles me most is individuals who justify taking a lethal risk by pointing out the threat didn’t materialize during their previous tempt of fate. That person is on a collision course with certain disaster since the odds eventually will not come out in their favor.

On the other side of the coin, there are those who avoid nearly all risk. Worse are parents who shield their children from the consequences of taking a risk that turned out bad. Certainly a parent should immediately stop a child that threatens to bite an extension cord. But I’m not so sure a child should be stopped from playing ball near the house against your advice. When a window gets broken, the child should pay for it. Experience is the best teacher and next time they will think twice before thumbing their nose at parental wisdom. But a child who never learns personal responsibility will ultimately get themselves in huge trouble, and people will audibly wonder why. Well, because they didn’t learn from the small things, they lacked the coping skills for the big temptations that come along. In short, they grow up to be the adults described in my first paragraph.

No comments:

Post a Comment