Playing the game of probability is smart, but sometimes we’re not trying to be smart. We are trying to be daring. Making calculations to bet on the most likely outcome, and stick with it, certainly has its merits - and rewards. But also does going at it regardless and giving your all to turn things around, making the improbable probable until it is achievable.
Too often, we subject ourselves to the forces that are greater than ourselves, as if we have little to no say on how the wind blows and where it’ll take us. We give up our ability to effect change or at least contribute to it. We become complacent, and we conform.
There is nothing wrong with conforming, in itself. However, it tends to be the case that what we conform to is basically what we can call the lowest common denominator. So rather than being outstanding and pushing progress forward, we feed into mediocrity. And this, going unchecked, can lead us to devolve rather than evolve.
It usually takes someone spirited, reckless even, to take a leap of faith. You don’t know if your efforts will be futile, how much you will end up sacrificing, and whether or not you will ultimately regret it and find it absurd in hindsight. Nevertheless, you also can’t be quite sure how many others are yearning and craving for the same as you, what is already set into motion that will carry you through, and how much history you will manage to make.
It is no exaggeration that you ought to be at least a bit insane. Because if you’re a purely sober, completely logical and rational person, going against the odds would not make sense. You must have a drive for it that defies reason and makes it so the alternative isn’t appealing to you, maybe even unbearable.
Yet, for how crazy it may all seem, there’s plenty that goes into it. Maybe you’re not relying solely on “luck” and “the universe” having your back. Maybe you’re playing an active, conscious, and intentional (perhaps sly) role in how it all proceeds. And while you may not be omniscient or omnipotent, you might be able to look at much that’s relevant holistically and multitask. This not only requires courage, but also astuteness and dexterity. And since not everything will be within your hands, it would also require adaptability and opportunism. So that you won't get stuck and what can serve you won’t pass you by.
And in some cases, or in certain measures, what you have to gain by far outweighs what you have to lose, so giving it a try isn’t so mad after all.
