Risk and its discontents

What American Ninja Warrior, evolution, and your purpose have in common

About 8 years ago, I stepped on the American Ninja Warrior course for the first time.

I look happy. I was terrified. (And this was my third time to see the course!)

An obsession was born, one that lasted until a bad knee injury (and, let’s be honest, becoming more than twice as old as the most successful competitors) took me out of competition.

Getting into ninja warrior was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done. The sport pits you against obstacles that are three times your size, suspended sixteen feet above a shallow pool that’s the only safety net you have.

It was risky as heck.

And it changed my life. Which is exactly what I want to talk about today.

Before we do, let’s make you richer.

I’d like to give you $1000, and you get to choose how you get it. Here are your options:

Choice 1: I hand you $1000, no strings attached. That’s it.

Choice 2 adds a bit of fun. It’s a pretty simple game: we flip a coin. If it lands on heads, then I give you $6000, no strings attached. But! If the coin lands on tails, you have to pay me $4000.

(I flesh these games out a bit more in my book, Solving for Why).