Vilbert.Write to me
← All reflections

Life and values

Fear is not a risk assessment

I have made many decisions in life where fear was part of the conversation.

By Vilbert Gústafsson

Sometimes for good reason.

Fear can point us towards something we need to examine more closely. Perhaps the trouble starts when we confuse the feeling with the conclusion.

“This is risky.”

Is it?

Or am I afraid?

Those are not quite the same question.

A risk assessment calls for numbers, scenarios and questions. What could happen? How much could I lose? What happens if income is lower than I expect? How long could I sustain that? What can I do to reduce the risk?

Fear rarely does these calculations. It simply says: “Do not go there.”

I have had to learn to pause when this happens and ask:

Am I assessing risk, or am I listening to a story fear is telling me?

Sometimes the conclusion is the same. You should not go ahead.

But I think it matters to know why.

Stay in touch

New writing from me

From time to time, I will send new writing, ideas I am working on and things I think are worth sharing.

You can write to me in the meantime ↗