Risk-taking

Risks can be taken in the sense of gambling on a result which is of a chance nature; or of making a decision where insufficient information is available for the result to be certain. In the latter case, the risk of making a decision based on insufficient information is weighed against the gravity of the decision and the cost and difficulty of obtaining further information. Western society values risk-taking more highly than caution, and individuals take risks in order to be equal to more risk-orientated peers or as part of a group with a high-risk-taking leader.