Risk Takers
Risk takers are people, groups, departments, communities etc., who ‘make’ the decisions and expect others to carry the consequences which are incalculable for them (danger bearers). The simplest example of this is any vehicle driver who exposes his passenger to his driving style (and sometimes expects him to put up with it). The driver decides, whether he allows himself to be irritated by attempts to influence him (“Too quick!”, “Too slow!”) and to then either revise his decision about the suitable speed or maintain it.
The advantages of this position are:
• that one can decide, and with it, one can have active influence on the situation
• that, in the case of favourable decision outcomes, the benefits can be reaped and
• that one makes it more probable, through the agreement and the trust attributions of others, to receive the role of risk taker again (“She can do this!”)
The disadvantages of this position are:
• that one also has to carry the consequences, when these decisions, from the viewpoint of the danger bearer, are negative (accusations, criticisms, breaking off contact, compensation, revenge etc.) or, also, that they are only associated with negative expectations (threats, resistance, defamation, counter measures, defensive strategies etc.),
• that one reproaches oneself, if the future shows that one could have done better or maybe one should not have acted at all. As, with hindsight, one is usually smarter, this is very often the case, particularly in uncertain contexts. Then it is later regretted that one has not let others decide and mourns the advantages of being the danger bearer (“If only I had simply remained an employee rather than becoming the boss!”).