Cautious to reckless scale
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The 0 to 10 "Cautious to Reckless scale" below is a tongue-in-cheek way to gauge how wild (or worry-prone) you are when it comes to risk-taking and thrill-seeking. Do you leap before you look? Or pack a second helmet just in case the first gets lonely?
My Graphical Representation of the "Cautious to Reckless Scale" (0-10)
The idea: Everyone loves a bit of thrill... or do they? Not all adrenaline comes from skydiving. For some of us, taking the last piece of cake at a family dinner feels like tightrope-walking over lava. This scale is a playful way to explore how much you embrace danger — or avoid it like expired milk.
Using this Scale
This one hits close to home for me.
I’m what you'd call a "play-it-safe" kind of guy. Never broke a bone as a kid (unless you count my pride). I don't do heights unless there's a solid railing, and I’m not a fan of that stomach-lurching, rollercoaster-drop sensation — if I wanted to feel like I'm dying, I’d just read my electricity bill during winter.
And yet, I've learned that thrills come in all shapes. Saying "I love you" first? That’s brave. Dancing like no one's watching when everyone is? That’s exhilarating (actually that one's pretty easy for me - but dance is my thing). Some of us won't touch righ-ropes unless there's a very convincing rope system and a signed insurance waiver, but I like to think there's power in thoughtful bravery. Risking your heart. Speaking your truth. Ordering the spiciest item on the menu despite past trauma.
A nice example of balancing it out: I took up fire-spinning when I lived in Hawaii, but - unlike more fire spinners - I took safety very seriously... I learned how to be a good fire safety, and I actually think people really appreciated all the time I put in as a fire safety go-to while I lived there. By respecting the fire, I got to have safe fun playing with it, never going beyond my level of skill.
So whether you're helmet-shy and jumping off cliffs for fun, or someone who brings their own first-aid kit to a picnic, this scale is for you.
Use it to laugh, reflect, or maybe justify why your idea of danger is letting the toast *almost* burn.
Sincerely,
Andrew Noske
See Also
- Personal independence scale – Because some people take risks *just* to prove they don’t need a safety net.
- Drunkenness scale – Funny how your level on *this* scale affects your position on the recklessness one.
