what if?, page-16

Hi Brian70

Your post set me thinking further about why there is often a different approach to risk-taking between men and women. Before I go further, none of my five daughters have ever said that I'm a misogynist, and I carry no brief either for risk-taking or caution per se.

My view is that risk-taking is more likely to be found among men than women. If so, why? I suspect it has much to do with our history and the resulting genetic conditioning. Not that many generations ago it was necessary for males to take significant risk in hunting to bring home the bacon to the campfire, around which the women were seeking to ensure protection and safety. These genetics have spilled over into our lives today. Our behaviours are also strongly influenced by our own circumstances; my parents lived through the Great Depression, so to them financial security of a safe job was primary. I took years to get beyond that, but did so, with great benefit to my career and the additional opportunities I could offer my family.

This doesn't mean that caution is not to be applauded; it's a matter of balance, and critically, knowing ourselves. If risk makes one uneasy, not sleeping properly at night, ADO is probably not the right choice. Despite my ebullience, my wife is reluctant to invest more of her money into ADO, and initially the far greater portion was in blue chips. Fair enough. Now she's more than doubled her ADO investment. I'm waiting for the day not far away when I can show her she's overweight in ADO! And I suspect she'll be happy with that, and won't want to sell any ADO.

The ying and yang of it, n'est-ce pas?