Pro bull riders wear protective vests, and more of them wear helmets than ever. Brave and careful aren’t opposites.
RESILIENCE
WHAT THIS MEANS
People who do genuinely dangerous things for a living are usually the most careful people in the building. The gear is not an admission of fear, it is what makes the risk repeatable, since nobody has a career if one bad landing ends it. The idea that protection is for the timid comes from people who are not doing the dangerous thing.
Wear the mouthguard, the helmet, the brace you have been skipping because it looks cautious. Notice who in your sport takes safety seriously and how good they usually are. Being around for the whole season is not a smaller ambition than looking fearless for one night.
A QUESTION TO SIT WITH
Do you skip safety gear to look tougher than you are?
MORE IN COURAGE & RISK
- Choosing to compete clean when others cut corners means you might lose to cheaters. You’ll still know what you won.
- Speaking up in a meeting at your first job is terrifying. Good bosses remember the new hire who asked a good question.
- The new kid who introduces themselves first gets to pick the friend instead of waiting to be picked.
Free, with nothing to buy inside it.