Maia Szalavitz is a renowned American reporter who wrote a psychological article “Ten
Ways We Get the Odds Wrong.” According to Szalavitz, “Some people have a very high
tolerance for risk, while others are more cautious” (254). This leads to the term “risk thermostat”,
which is the sensation that people experience by keeping a fixed level of risk and maintaining
that level. The risk thermostat differs from one person to another. But as stated by Szalavitz, we
are all inclined to maintain a steady level of risk. In different circumstances, some people are risk
takers and others are risk averse, and some of them lie in the middle. This essay examines how
people react to risks in different ways. Personally, I am someone who is willing to …show more content…
Rather than smoking or eating
a cupcake, I used to eat a lot of chocolates and candies. Despite the numerous warnings from
parents as well as my dentist, I did not stop consuming them until a decay developed from plaque
on my teeth, which forced me to go to the dentist. This was my turning point in my eating habits
in which I lowered the consumption rate of sugary food and increased the amount of healthy
food that I should consume in order to be healthy.
On the other hand, consuming a medical tablet without a medical prescription could have
unpredicted impacts on person’s health and may causes severe side effects. Before seven years
ago, when I had fever, and my body temperature was about 38.4 degree Celsius. I thought that
taking a dosage of Ibuprofen will help me relieve and alleviate my physical pains like headache
and stomachache. But as stated by Szalavitz, “we substitute one risk for another” (253). In which
I never realized that there would be side effects associated with this remedy. Before I took the
pills, my uncle, a doctor, came along and took the pills out of my hand. He then rebuked me
Ways We Get the Odds Wrong.” According to Szalavitz, “Some people have a very high
tolerance for risk, while others are more cautious” (254). This leads to the term “risk thermostat”,
which is the sensation that people experience by keeping a fixed level of risk and maintaining
that level. The risk thermostat differs from one person to another. But as stated by Szalavitz, we
are all inclined to maintain a steady level of risk. In different circumstances, some people are risk
takers and others are risk averse, and some of them lie in the middle. This essay examines how
people react to risks in different ways. Personally, I am someone who is willing to …show more content…
Rather than smoking or eating
a cupcake, I used to eat a lot of chocolates and candies. Despite the numerous warnings from
parents as well as my dentist, I did not stop consuming them until a decay developed from plaque
on my teeth, which forced me to go to the dentist. This was my turning point in my eating habits
in which I lowered the consumption rate of sugary food and increased the amount of healthy
food that I should consume in order to be healthy.
On the other hand, consuming a medical tablet without a medical prescription could have
unpredicted impacts on person’s health and may causes severe side effects. Before seven years
ago, when I had fever, and my body temperature was about 38.4 degree Celsius. I thought that
taking a dosage of Ibuprofen will help me relieve and alleviate my physical pains like headache
and stomachache. But as stated by Szalavitz, “we substitute one risk for another” (253). In which
I never realized that there would be side effects associated with this remedy. Before I took the
pills, my uncle, a doctor, came along and took the pills out of my hand. He then rebuked me