In the first place, risk can be defined as a concept or a notion that poses clear possibility of specific eventualities. Technically speaking, the concept of risk is autonomous from that of value.
This makes the prospects of these eventualities have the potency to deliver both or either benefits and/ or negative setbacks. Therefore, there can be lucidity in saying that risk taking measures can portend losses or damages, but in order to thwart the cause of these dangers materializing, it is required of the risk taker to stage planned actions that are also akin to risk assessment and risk management.This is because the actions that are to be carried out in the risk taking are basically crucial, and taking one wrong or misinformed move may prove to be very crucial. History is rife with people who can be defined as risk takers.
This is because, these individuals decided to wade through a certain path, the risk that the path did portend at the time, notwithstanding. However, these people have proceeded to be successful, irrespective of the circumstances.This notion is well supported by the fact that over 83% of cases of activities that are taken by risk takers turn out to be successful. This is according to Herbert’s report that was released in 2003. This essay will limit the scope of those people who can be considered as successful risk takers to three individuals. Some of these individuals include Malcolm X, Night, the author of Weisel, and Tintern Abbey, who is also the author of William Wordsworth.
The autobiography of Malcolm X Malcolm X, also known as Malcolm Little was born in May 19th, 1925 and died on February 21st, 1965.Also known as El Hajj Malik El Shabazz, Malcolm X was a Muslim African American, a minister, a human rights activist, and a public speaker. Malcolm can be said to have been a risk taker, given the fact that he stood to become a bold advocate for the African Americans rights. This can be said to be the case, given the fact that at the time, the racial divide and tension that cut across the American scene was so profound, that at the time, Malcolm X was indeed endangering his life. As it were, he was making himself vulnerable to the assassin’s bullet.
At the same time, it must also be taken to stock, the fact that it is not only that Malcolm, by engaging in terse civic rights movements, was not only placing himself in harm’s way, but at the same time, this did portend a another form of threat. This threat was mainly in the form of succumbing to arbitrary arrests and convictions. This is more so the case, given that he also took to making indictments against the whites in America in the harshest terms possible for the crimes that were committed against the blacks.To this effect, it was very easy and possible for the detractors of Malcolm X to make false indictments against him, making insinuations that he is a racist who preaches violence.
The fact that Malcolm X is a risk taker is also underscored by the many changes in life that he made. This is because; seldom do those who do not enjoy taking risks like making or experiencing changes. In the first case, Malcolm X after being freed from jail, joined the nation of Islam and grew in influence to become the public figure behind it.It is only after the fall out with Elijah Mohammed that he left the movement to start the Muslim Mosque Inc. , a quasi religious organization.
At the same time, Malcolm took to form and establish the African American nationalist outfit, the Afro- American Unity. This means that Malcolm was ready to be misunderstood by his religious cohorts so that he could serve his calling- and this being, that of the liberalization of the African Americans.As a prolific risk taker, the vast amounts of risks that he had taken, culminated and were also epitomized when Malcolm was assassinated on February 21, 1965 when delivering his speech in New York. Night, author Weisel As an author of many books, Eliezer Wiesel was born on September 30th 1928, later on growing to become a Jewish writer, a political activist, a professor, a Holocaust survivor and a Nobel Laureate. As the author of 57 books, Night author Weisel can be said to be a risk taker since writing all this huge voluminous amounts is always accompanied with a lot of uncertainties.
This follows the fact the dynamics, tastes, preferences and the fluctuations of the market. According to Herbert (2003 p 90), the above prospects is also underscored by the fact that the same narrated through his writings, the ordeal the Jewish race underwent at the hands of Adolf Hitler and his concentration camps. By narrating the personal experience that was characterised with a lot of humiliation and total contempt in the Nazi’s death camps. This was instrumental for the world since it opened up the eyes of the world.
At the same time, this opened up the forum for the healing process to begin. It is because of Weasel’s practical work for the cause of peace that the same was able to bequeath the world with his humanitarian and touching speech that was mainly pivoted on peace, human dignity, and atonement. The above prospects betray the risk taking nature of Weisel, given that he braved the very high prospects of his message being discarded and downtrodden by the world. This is because, at the time, the world was awash with war, given that the Two World Wars were in force.
This had the made the entire globe unable to think without partiality. Eliezer Wiesel was at this instance, running the risk of being branded a fool and a mere victim to collateral damage. Further, the ability of Eliezer Wiesel to take risk is bolstered by the fact that at one time, being an Orthodox Jew from the Hungarian descent, he helped the Polish Jews escape, despite the fact that he himself had spent a couple of months in jail and was famished. In any way, the act could have earned him easily his death sentence. Tintern Abbey, author William WordsworthWilliam Wordsworth authored the poem entitled Tintern Abbey during a July 13th 1798 tour when William Wordsworth was revisiting the Wye Banks. At the same timer, the poem has continued to remain a thing that is clearly important to the Wordsworth since it contains very instrumental pieces of philosophies on human life.
The fact that William Wordsworth is a risk taker is underscored by the fact that he visits Tintern Abbey after 5 years so as to compose the poem. The above feat means a lot in terms of financial resources that are used towards these ends.In the same vein, the potential author does not know how the general public will react to the literary work piece. William Wordsworth does not know if the sales that will stem from the public’s acclamation will be enough to return the amount of money that was used in the efforts to compose the poem. This dilemma is further elucidated by the fact that Tintern Abbey had become less frequented. This was a testimony to the fact that peoples interest in Tintern Abbey was waning, and so would the poems about the same, probably.
This notion is further brought to the limelight by the fact that the poem is done in blank verse. This blank verse is also known as the iambic pentameter that at the time was not eliciting enough iota of appeal. Thus, it is clear that William Wordsworth was taking the risk of making sales or gains that were very minimal. Conclusion It is therefore clear that there are many risk takers. This is more so, if it is considered that there are many risks that stand in the way of the realization of success.To this effect, there are political risks that are to be navigated by politicians, economic and financial risks that are to be negotiated by economists and traders, among a myriad of others for instance.
However, each and every individual is born with an instinct and a drive to live, achieve and succeed. The art of risk taking is what determines success. This means that anyone who is a success is virtually a risk taker and a good risk manager. This is because, there is no success that can be realized without risks and setbacks being encountered.
