Chosen or imposed risks?

Risks certainly come in different forms based on our own perception.  Do you consider the risks you take to be somehow foisted on you like you don't have a choice? Or do you seek them out because you feel you can gain something from taking risks?

The Dalai Lama chose to secretly flee Tibet because the Chinese violently took over in an effort to suppress an ancient, religious culture.  Like the Dalai Lama, many Tibetan citizens, including brave children, have chosen to risk their lives to journey through harsh natural, conditions in order to have a chance at freedom.  They choose to expose themselves to hazards, possible gunfire and death in order to take charge of their fate. They would be taking a risk to stay in Tibet and be constantly threatened, and they would be taking risks if they choose to leave all they had ever known. When faced with life and death situations, one typically chooses life.

In 1943, when the Soviet Union took over Estonia, my maternal grandparents took their children and risked their lives to escape amidst bombings.  In their minds, choosing between prospective oppression and freedom wasn't really a choice.  To lose national independence and stay there would've meant losing the freedom to use their native language, being unable to nurture their culture, to exercise their will.  There was even the likelihood of ongoing surveillance and a threat of death. They preferred to take their own risks to travel to Germany and work there, then onto Italy and Australia where they lived brief periods before moving onto Canada.  They chose to move places that offered them civil liberties, freedom of speech and opportunities rather than increasing restrictions. They also had the luxury of their health, resourcefulness and determination to overcome incredible odds during wars that are difficult for me to imagine.  So, choosing life over possible death can be linked to our values and principles as much as to instinct.

When you think of the risks you take everyday, you may note bigger ones and smaller ones.  You may be fortunate to live in a country where you don't take your life into your own hands each time you venture to a local market or choose to practice your belief system.  You may not think that more people die in car accidents each minute than people statistically die in airplanes.

Even basic, everyday activities involve risks for some people. You can quantify and compare the hazards, but can you minimize or eliminate them? News headlines regularly announce harmful chemicals we should avoid avoid, or foods and behaviors which represent threats. You may dream of a simpler world where you perceive fewer risks. But does such a world really exist? If we reflect back, a century ago, life expectancy was 50 years, now it is over 70. Do you think this means the sum of all risks must be less than it was? Or, do you feel each time a health risk is eliminated, we simply discover new ones to replace them?