hat happens later in life if you don’t take risks

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Let’s just say right off the bat that, obviously, in life, you need to exhibit some restraint and use your best judgment. But some individuals, in an attempt to do that, overdo it, always making the safe choice, always going the predictable route, and never taking chances. Should you literally gamble tens of thousands of dollars at a poker table? Probably not. Should you invest that money that you’ve saved, in the business of your dreams that you’ve thoroughly researched and drawn up plans for? Maybe. And it’s important to know that there is a huge difference between gambling in life, and taking smart, calculated risks—or even just being open to adventure. If you aren’t doing the latter young, it only gets harder as you age. Here is what happens later in life if you don’t take risks.

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Travel is terrifying

Your world map becomes very small. You can never imagine traveling, for example, to some place where you’d need to apply for a visa. Travel is full of too many unexpected experiences, so you’d rather stay put. But if you travel often when you’re young, the unpredictable and uncontrollable isn’t so scary later.

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When you travel, you won’t make the most of it

When you do travel, you almost try to recreate your life back at home. You bring the foods to which you’re accustomed to eating. You pack your own sheets and pillows. You eat at the chain restaurants you recognize from back home and you mostly stay in the safety of the hotel.

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You have a limited view of money

You never take calculated, financial risks that could result in large earnings. For example, you won’t lend a friend money—a friend who has a very good business idea, is offering you a high interest rate, and even putting up his car as collateral. You see money as something you should only earn for labor. You don’t look into passive streams of income (but these can set you up for retirement).

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You don’t think you’re capable of great things

You stop dreaming. You don’t even have visions of you doing great things, like writing novels, performing on a stage, curing some disease, becoming a politician etc. Your brain loses the ability to imagine yourself as something great.

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You accept unsatisfactory friendships

When you don’t take risks, you usually don’t give new friends a chance, either. You may be stuck with the friends you’ve just had since elementary or high school, not because you excite each other, or even enjoy each other, but because you’re familiar.

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You’ll probably be a picky eater

When you don’t like to travel or try new things, it’s hard to expand your palate too far. So you wind up only being comfortable eating certain foods, which makes dining out with you a headache.

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You’ll be very codependent on friends

If you don’t want to try new things in general then you likely don’t want to go anywhere alone. If you take risks and are adventurous early in life, you learn that you can go to a restaurant, bar, party, or show by yourself, and not only survive, but even enjoy yourself. But if you don’t venture off on your own early, then later in life, doing something simple like having dinner alone feels intimidating.

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You’ll be codependent on your partner

You’ll eventually transfer the codependency you had on your friends onto your romantic partner, and may even be a bit of a burden on him or her sometimes.

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You’ll ask too many questions

You wind up asking an obnoxious number of questions before doing anything at all. You don’t even realize how abnormal it is that you need to know how many bathrooms the restaurant has, what sort of music they play, and whether or not there is a bench to sit on in the valet area.

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You’ll refuse spontaneity

You’ll always turn down spontaneity. If a friend calls you up and says she’s in your neighborhood, you won’t have her over (even though you rarely see each other) because your brain can’t process a change in your routine.

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Your experiences and world will be small

Your experiences and world become very small. You frequent the same places, eat the same foods, and interact with the same people. Unfortunately, failing to have new experiences is bad for your alertness and memory.

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Taking risks will feel even scarier

When you get older, taking risks will feel ten times as frightening as it did when you were younger. That’s why you should get in the habit of trying new things when you’re young, so that it eventually becomes second nature rather than a daunting task.

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You’ll regret a lot

If you always choose the safe, familiar experience/person/food/place, you’ll wind up regretting a lot later in life. When mortality feels more real, you’ll wish you’d done more with it.

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You’ll be that difficult family member

You’ll be that family member that your family dreads traveling with, or having over for a visit. Your family knows that spending time with you comes with catering to a hundred little worries and neurosis.