Some people have a poor understanding of risk. Much of the public tends to look at risk only in an absolute sense. They call certain activities “risky” and other activities “not risky”. As such, people tend to completely avoid “risky” activities at all costs while preferring activities they consider “safe”.
According to many sources, such as Dictionary.com, risk can be formally defined as, “exposure to the chance of injury or loss”. People don’t like risk because they fear loss. The actual probability of loss is often irrelevant – any hint of a potential loss, and some people just run for the hills.
The problem with this mindset is that it demonstrates a clear misunderstanding of risk, and in doing so, prevents individuals from maximizing their opportunities for success.