I live in the States, and a block away from my home is a residential intersection without stop signs. Thank God, I haven’t witnessed any accidents at this intersection, despite often seeing cars speeding through without the slightest pause to check for oncoming traffic. This scenario highlights a distinctly American mentality: if something were truly risky, there would be warnings or safeguards in place to protect people from the risk. Therefore, in the absence of such warnings or safeguards, people feel free to act recklessly without fear of consequences.
This mindset, while seemingly benign, shifts the burden of responsibility from individuals onto others. It permeates various facets of American life. In consumer behavior, for example, people often assume that if a product is on the market, it must be safe and thoroughly tested, leading them to neglect personal due diligence. Similarly, in the workplace, employees might rely heavily on safety protocols and regulations, sometimes at the expense of exercising personal caution and judgment.
In the realm of personal health, many Americans depend on warning labels and public health advisories to inform their decisions, rather than proactively seeking out information and taking preventive measures themselves. This reliance on external safeguards fosters a culture where individuals feel less accountable for their own actions and well-being, expecting others to take on the responsibility of ensuring safety and mitigating risks.
Years ago, I took a trip to New Zealand with a group of friends, and we partook in various activities that highlighted the difference in how risk is perceived. In Rotorua, we tried the Skyline Luge, where we took a lift to the top of a mountain and raced down in metal go-carts. The only guidelines were a simple image showing the proper way to ride (a stick figure inside the cart) and another indicating the improper way (a stick figure flipped over outside the cart). As Americans, our mentality was to ride as fast as possible because if it wasn’t safe, surely there would have been more restrictions.
On another day, we went Zorbing, which involves getting into a giant inflatable ball and rolling down a hill. It seemed safe enough, so since no one stopped us, we tried to fit as many people inside as possible. It is a miracle no one got injured.
Lastly, we visited the Rotorua crater and ran as fast as we could down the steep rim to the bottom. Again, it was miraculous that none of us got hurt.
In retrospect, after gaining a little bit of maturity since my trip there years ago as an adolescent, I realized that my American mentality towards risk was misapplied in New Zealand. In America, people are conditioned to expect explicit warnings and safeguards, leading to a false sense of security. In contrast, New Zealand expects individuals to use good judgment and take personal responsibility for their actions, rather than relying on external restrictions to prevent risky behavior.
Reflecting on this experience, I recognize that it was only by the grace of God that we were protected from numerous potential dangers during that trip. This taught me a crucial lesson: assuming safety based on the presence or absence of warnings can lead to dangerous behavior. It is essential to exercise personal caution and responsibility, understanding that the duty of mitigating risk should not fall solely on others.
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